28 Days Later: A Slayer's story
by The Doh-man
Summary: Somewhere in Buffy Season 8, the Rage Virus hit the Slayer's castle. Buffy couldn't stop what happened, nobody could. Now, can she survive the infection, the loss of loved ones, and deal with what happened, 28 days later? Chapter 10 & 11 updates added! :)
1. Chapter 1

TITLE: 28 Days Later ... The Slayer's Story

.

INTRODUCTION: Buffy the Vampire Slayer fights to survive in the world of 28 Days Later. Set somewhere in Season 8 of Buffy the "infection" breaks out (I still have a hard time with Season 8 being canon) and spreads quickly to Scotland and the castle housing the slayers-in-training. It has already devastated London and the countryside. Buffy has to struggle with the loss of friends and loved ones, as well as, the constant insanity of a world "infected" with the rage virus. She finds love, lust, and loss all along the way.

If you watch the movie 28 Days Later then you know the story is dark. People die. It gets rather ugly. I also have a distinctly suggestive and naughty theme in the storyline here and there. Nevertheless, from what I see in the rating scale, I feel comfortable giving it a solid **"M"** rating.

As I said, people die, so character death is all over the place; however, the story has hope built in it. You will see what I mean if you read it. Anyway, as we all know … dead isn't really dead-dead in Buffy (or Star Trek for that matter). Also, we have a thirty-one year old Buffy (the story is set in 2012 and since she was born in January 1981 that makes her a sexy and beautiful 31 years of age).

.

DISCLAIMER: The writing here is strictly fan fiction without intent for profit. If imitation is the highest form of flattery then may I do my little part to pay honor to Joss Whedon and his genius and creative spirit that started and continues the story of the Slayer. Everything here Buffy related is the property of Joss and Mutant Enemy. The story for 28 Days Later was written by Alex Garland and produced by Andrew McDonald, and distributed by Fox Searchlight Pictures. All rights, credit, and characters related to the movie belong to these sources.

.

"_There is an urge and rage in people to destroy, to kill, to murder, and until all mankind, without exception, undergoes a great change, wars will be waged, everything that has been built up, cultivated and grown, will be destroyed and disfigured, after which mankind will have to begin all over again." _

_Anne Frank _

.

Buffy felt emotionally and physically drained beyond belief. She was exhausted after hiding out with Dawn in a forty foot commercial shipping container, in a rail yard storage area, on the outskirts of London. It had been four days now, living … existing … surviving in the container. This was more than she could handle. She felt like she was on the edge of completely falling apart.

This was hardly the purpose for which she had come to the London area. She came to save Giles and Faith, instead she found herself hiding like a scared animal since the world had literally gone insane. People were killing each other. The Rage infection was everywhere. The feeling of emptiness, total, absolute desperation, fear, guilt for not doing more, was beyond overwhelming. She thought seriously about ended it all a few days ago if it were not for Dawn. Dawnie, her sister, needed her, now more than ever. There was no way she would leave her sister alone in this world gone mad.

The rage infection had spread all over the UK, maybe the world, for that matter. There was no way to know really. Back before everything fell apart, her sources told her that the infection started as a covert science experiment that went horribly out of control. That was just two weeks ago. "_How could it have spread so fast? How could it be so devastating?"_ It was not supernatural; she was good at fighting that kind of thing. It was biological, man-made, and very contagious. She had little to mount as a defense against it. She was no longer a hero in this world. She was just trying to survive like anyone else out here who managed to avoid being infected thus far.

Even Vampires were not immune. Of course, that was completely understandable since they were creatures that thrived on blood, and the "Rage Virus" was transmitted by blood. Since blood is the only real nourishment for vampires, the rage had an easy and willing host. The infection controlled them, or maybe ... it just let out the demon within each vampire. In any case, the results were the same. Even the most powerful vampires and demons fell victim to the infection. Who knew that a simple virus could destroy all the _"Big Bads"_ in England? Buffy thought for a moment longer and came to a sobering conclusion, _"Who is left alive to care anyway if all the vampires are dead?"_

_Snapping out of her self-absorbed thoughts, Buffy focused on Dawn. __"_Dawn honey, listen, I need you to pay attention to me, okay?" Buffy sat in the heap of cloth and rags they had been calling a bed. She cradled her sister in her arms. Dawn had fallen from a roof top while running from a group of infected. She hit her head pretty bad in the fall. She also broke her right arm in two places. That was six days ago. Dawn had not been totally with it since. She acted dazed and confused all the time now and her arm was swollen and badly bruised.

Dawn opened her eyes. It was evident that she was weak and tired. "Buffy," is all she said with a raspy voice.

"Listen, I, I, gotta go out and get some food and water for us while it is still daylight and I can see." Buffy wiped the dirt from her sister's face as Dawn looked up into her eyes.

"Buffy, I don't want you to go. Don't leave me, please." Dawns eyes welled up with tears just as Buffy's did. "I'm so scared," Dawn said softly as her lower lip started to quiver.

"Dawn, you know I love you. You know it, right?" Buffy hugged Dawn tight.

"Yes, I know."

"Dawn, I can't let you starve. You need food … and, and water to survive. We're gonna survive Dawn, I promise!" Buffy let a tear fall on Dawn's forehead.

When the rage broke out in London, they all watched it on the TV from the seeming safety of the Slayer castle. They called Giles, who was in London with Faith, to see if the two of them were okay. At first the virus seemed controllable but then it rapidly started to spread. Reports that the infection spread over to Scotland and Ireland within a day blasted across the TV. Dawn was there when Buffy gave one of her motivational speeches about how everything would be okay, how we would all be safe. All those people were dead now and Buffy hadn't been able to do a thing to stop it.

"Please come back. I don't want to die in here alone! I'm scared Buffy." Dawn closed her eyes and weakly hugged Buffy's arm for a full minute.

With those words, Buffy was overcome for an instant with the emotion of losing all she had known. She buried her face in Dawn's hair and started to cry. After a few minutes Buffy regained herself and gently laid her sister back down on the rags and cloth matting that acted as their bed. It wasn't much but it was better than under a bridge or somewhere on the cold dirt.

Buffy looked at her sister and searched her own mind for a word … any word of encouragement. Only one thought came to her so she decided to share it, "Dawn remember what I said to you a long time ago when Glory had you on top of that tower? I said it right before I jumped."

Dawn nodded, "The hardest thing in this world is to live in it." That thought seemed to provide Dawn with some small measure of peace.

Buffy covered Dawn up in surrounding shipping blankets and packing material. The bed was in the corner of the container, hidden from sight behind boxes and stuff. That way, whenever the door had to be opened, anything outside would not see Dawn.

As Buffy walked by the two candles that provided the only heat and light in the container, she snuffed them out so as not to attract attention from anything that might see her leave the container. Since the shipping container was full of vehicle parts that made handy weapons, she grabbing a truck crank-shaft from one of the boxes as she made her way to the container door.

She slowly cracked open the door and peaked outside. It was cloudy, overcast, a faint drizzle was in the air. All she had to protect herself from the weather was a ratty old sweater and some torn jeans with some well worn tennis-shoes. She carefully looked around for movement but didn't see anything, so she quickly stepped out and placed the padlock back on the door to the container. She knew if she did not return, Dawn would die in there, starving to death, all alone. There are worse things that could happen to her. Locked in there, at least she would not become one of them, one of the _"infected."_ She had no choice but to lock her in. Within a few seconds Dawn was secure and Buffy was hunkered down by the container looking for a good route to take to get to the nearest source of food and water.

In short order she had her route planned out and started moving, running, from container, to rail car, to guard shack, to pile of debris, and finally to the fence line. The rail yard was not too close to any housing area … but those … _"things,"_ were everywhere. She could kill them easily enough but the infection spreads through the blood and overwhelms its victims in seconds. If she were cut or the blood got into her system in a fight, she would turn into one of them, just like all of her friends and loved ones back at the castle.

As Buffy walked cautiously along the fence line she thought back to when this started, just twelve days ago, everyone was glued to the news. The reports on the radio were dire, and then the report just went to fuzzy static. She called Giles to find out what was going on. He said that some kind of infection was spreading and to have Willow look into some kind of protection spell. He said he and Faith were "hold up in the apartment" but were "relatively safe." Giles was always the one for an understatement.

Buffy remembered hearing Faith's voice in the background saying, "Hey G, I think we got a problem." After a few minutes of silence, the phone went dead. That was the last time she heard from them. That is what prompted _"Warrior Buffy"_ to go hunting for them. What a disaster that turned out to be. As Buffy walked warily along, she thought about she could have done differently. _"Should I have stayed back at the castle and died with the rest of the slayers?"_ Buffy muttered to herself more to break the empty silence than anything else.

She found the opening in the fence that she had been using to slip into the woods near the rail yard. If she was lucky and did not get attacked, the little trail in the woods would lead to a small road, and then to the abandon farm house she had been raiding the last two days for supplies.

"_God, how I miss Sunnydale ... mom,"_ she said to herself as she walked along, observant of any movement or sound. She wished she could go back to a simpler time when she could at least fight the _"Big Bad." _Even Glory was easier than this. Now, everything was dead or lost to her forever. Even if she and Dawn survived, _"Nothing would EVER be the same,"_ she thought.

For what seemed to be the hundredth time since all this began, tears filled her eyes. She recalled how Xander was the first of her friends, loved ones as it were, to go down. An infected slayer-in-training had made it inside the castle. Nobody knew what to expect. She started biting people and vomiting up blood all over the place. Before we realized it, five more slayers were infected. Eventually Buffy and the rest of the slayers killed those who were infected but not before one jumped on Willow.

Xander was close to Will, and kicked the super-slayer-zombie off of her. Then, he stood his ground with nothing more than a candle holder and an eternal love for Willow, his childhood best friend. He bought time for Willow to run up the stairs and get away. Buffy remembered the look on Willow's face when she turned around just in time to see him get ripped apart by two of the infected slayers.

Willow cried for days after Xander died. Unlike when she lost Tara, this didn't turn to anger ... just lonely, deep, incredible hurt. As Willow cried to a point of empty gasping, everyone else boarded up the Castle and tried to make sense of what was going on. In the end, Buffy decided to try to find Giles and Faith. Six slayers, Willow, Dawn, and a couple of the new Watchers decided to come with Buffy on the quest. That was how the journey began. Now, all that remains of the valiant team are Dawn and Buffy. Even Willow, with all her power as a witch, couldn't stop the rage from spreading. Willow used her last breath to save Buffy and Dawn's life.

After twenty minutes of walking through the woods and along the empty country road, still packing her weapon of the day, a crank-shaft, Buffy was at the farm house. It wasn't really much of a farm, just an old house with a little extra ground around it. She had managed to dodge any contact with the infected thus far but just looking at the house made her skin crawl. Although it had been just yesterday when she was here getting canned food from the kitchen, it seemed even creepier than before.

As she cautiously walked in the backdoor, she could tell something was amiss. The place had been cleaned up a bit. On her last visit, it appeared clear the original inhabitants destroyed the place. Now, the kitchen was reasonably intact. She stood absolutely still in the doorway and listened for a full minute before she even exhaled. It looked okay as she glanced in every direction. From where she stood, it looked safe. "_Luckily the infected do not think about eating canned food as much as they do about just … well … killing,"_ she thought.

She brought her crank-shaft up to the ready position as she made her way to the kitchen. _"Nothing so far,"_ she thought. Putting her weapon on the counter she grabbed a bag from under the sink, she remember them from her last stopover. As she filled the bag with canned fruit and a couple bottles of soda she heard a noise behind her that made her jump and reach for her weapon.

"That's enough miss." A tall, gaunt looking boy stood in the doorway pointing a rather large shotgun at her. "I don't want to hurt you but that's our food," he said in the Queen's English. He looked to be no more than sixteen. He wore jeans, a grey flannel shirt and a light jacket. His curly blond hair reminded her of someone she once knew, and cared for a long time ago.

Buffy was just a little surprised to see another person. Other than Dawn, she hadn't talked to anyone in four days. After a moment of staring, she spoke up. "Oh, no, I am sorry. I, I mean, when I was here last, it was empty. The house I mean."

"Me brother and I just got here yesterday," he said. He lowered the gun as he spoke. She could see the strain of the last few weeks of world apocalypse in his eyes. She knew that he did not have the heart to hurt her. She could see it in his eyes.

"My sister is hurt and I am just trying to get a few things and get back to her. I can't leave her too long. She's all alone in the rail yard."

"Injured," a voice exclaimed, "are you sure the lass isn't infected?" A man in his late twenties said as he stepped in the room from behind the boy.

"Oh no, no, no, she fell … we were running from them. She's not infected." Buffy's thoughts ran to Dawn as she spoke. "Look, I just need a few supplies … please. I can't go back …," she started to chock up with emotion, "back, with nothing. She needs me to … take care … of her." Her eyes again began to drip tears as she wept softly.

The three of them stood there in the kitchen for a full minute, lost in their private thoughts. Finally, the boy spoke, "I'm William and my older brother here is Liam. We lost our mum a week ago to the infection. I know how you feel."

Buffy looked up and wiped the tears from her face. In actuality all she did was smear the dirt on her cheeks. She smiled her first smile in three weeks. "I knew a couple guys once. Their names were William and Liam."

"Did they get infected? Are they dead?" The boy, William, asked.

"I don't know for sure if they got infected. I guess you could say they died a long time ago." Buffy thought of how she wished Spike or Angel could be here to help her, hold her, and tell her it was going to be all right somehow.

After moment to contemplate Buffy's somewhat cryptic response, Liam spoke, "You can have no more than one bag can hold. I'm sorry but this is survival and I want ta live too ya know."

"Thank you," is all she said as she reached into the cabinet to get a few more cans, filling her bag. She turned to walk past them when they heard the glass window in the living room break. Her eyes went wide, "They must have found us!" She dropped her food bag, grabbed her crankshaft weapon, and ran toward the living room.

Three of the infected scrambled through the broken window just when Buffy and the two brothers ran into the room. The people that emerged from the window looked insane, gory, and filthy all over. At first she couldn't even tell if they were men or monsters. Their hair tangled wildly about their faces. Clothes were shredded along with some of their skin. Every ounce of blood dripping from them was laden with the infection. It made hand to hand combat, Buffy's specialty, very dangerous.

William fired the shotgun pulverizing the head of one of the infected, luckily the blood splattered on the wall behind the other infected attackers. One more shot rang out but Buffy was not waiting for more of those things to come running to the sound of the gunshot. Her slayer instincts kicked in.

A kick to the chest of one and a swing with the crank-shaft to the face of the other cleared some room to move. Two more infected were crawling in the window as Buffy's crank-shaft weapon shattered the skull of the infected guy she had just kicked in the chest.

"Run!" Liam yelled. He grabbed William by the arm and headed for the door.

Buffy grabbed one of the intruders that crawled in the window and tossed him like a ragdoll into several others that were trying to get in the house. She ran for the door too, following William and Liam. As she stepped out on the porch, a snarling female figure leaped out at her from seemingly nowhere. She dodged the attacker at the last second. With a quick backward kick to the side of the infected woman's knee, Buffy heard the cracking of bone as the woman fell to the ground. The broken leg only slowed her down but that was enough for Buffy to get away.

Liam and William were about two-hundred feet from Buffy when they took their last shot with the gun. It downed one more of the infected, splattering blood all over the yard. At that point three more of the infected where practically on them, escape seemed impossible. Buffy ran toward the fight swinging her crude weapon over her head. Even before she got to the fight, she had her attack plan down in her head.

Liam grabbed the empty gun from William and started using it as a club but the infected were too fast. He hit one but the other two tackled him and started biting and ripping at him with their hands and teeth. William kicked one of the infected that attacked his brother. The kick was solidly between the legs with little result. They went tumbling on the ground as William made a desperate attempt to not let the thing get the advantage.

Buffy could see that it was too late for Liam. She ran by the bloodbath and made it William before the wild-eyed attacker could infect him. She swung the crank-shaft with all her strength and connected with the infected man's right shoulder. He went flying off William and tumbled to the ground. She ran toward the dazed man as he began to stand up, the rage almost making his eyes seem to glow.

For a minute she wondered if he could be a vampire because of the look in his eyes, but the rage cleared vampires out pretty quick. The instant a vampire got infected they went all crazy and usually ran out into the streets ... which usually meant they burst into flames seeing how they seemed to not care if it was daylight or dark. She also learned quickly that these infected could be easily hurt, but they just didn't seem to care. They had a single focus. Pain meant nothing to them.

As she jumped up and landed behind her opponent, she could see his shattered arm hanging useless to his side. He just did not seem to notice. However, her next swing to the base of his skull had a more permanent effect. He fell lifeless to the ground.

She looked at William with pleading eyes. He was standing now, looking at several of the infected actually eating his brother. "He's gone! Come on! Don't stand there and die for nothing!" She was relieved when William turned and ran toward her.

They both ran from the farm house while most of the infected were still distracted by what was left of Liam. Those with the rage infection did not have much of an attention span but getting out without any of them following was nothing short of a miracle.

They ran until they made it back to the woods where Buffy knew her way to the container with Dawn in it. William was visibly shaken. He had to stop and catch his breath. He also took a moment to get sick. He fell to the ground and threw up the contents of his stomach. "That was my only brother," he finally muttered, his voice cracking under the stress and shock. "In the last couple weeks, I lost my whole bloody family to the infection."

Buffy put her hand on his back and patted him gently. "I know how you feel. I lost my mom a few years back. I still miss her so much. I lost all my friends to the infection, all the people I know. Since this thing started, everybody I care about is ...," her voice tailed off. For a minute they were alone with their own thoughts. Finally, Buffy spoke up again, "All I have is my sister now. She's what keeps me going."

"I, I, have nobody," William sniffled as he spoke.

"That's not totally true. Right now, you've got me," she said tenderly, "and I have Dawn. We sorta all have each other …," realizing how that sounded she added her own disclaimer, "in a so ... not ... like naughty way." She stood there allowing him a few minutes to calm himself again.

He looked up at her with a yielding look on his face. "I don't want to be alone. Can I come with you?"

"None, of us want to be alone William. That is why we have each other for now." After a moment of silence she said, "It will be dark soon and I have to get back to Dawn. She is all alone in the big metal box we are using as a hideout."

"Metal box," he said with his strongest British accent so far. "My Brother and I had a flat about five kilometers from here," he offered.

"Why did you leave then?"

"We ran out of food, and really, two blokes with nothing to do … we got a little stir crazy I guess after mum died."

"Well, for tonight, I think my metal box is closer. I really need to find some food and something to drink for Dawn. I dropped my bag of food back at the farm house." Buffy looked down at the ground wishing just once something could be easy.

"I have a few things." He reached in his pocket and pulled out four candy bars, some mints, nuts, and half of a bottle of Pepsi.

Buffy smiled again for the second time in as many weeks, "That'll do just fine for now. Let's get going before we're stuck out here in the dark. No telling what bad things lurk in the dark around here."

They stopped only once on the way back when they spotted a roving band of infected wondering through the train yard. The group moved on rather quickly. She thought she saw some unlucky German Sheppard trying to evade them. Buffy thought that they seemed hungry and less energetic than the group at the farm house.

William noticed it too. "I wonder if they will starve like the rest of us."

"Let's hope they starve first. I vote we don't starve," Buffy commented.

They made their way back to the container with Dawn in it, just a few minutes after the sunset. She removed the lock and opened the container. Dawn had a candle burning and she was sitting up with her back against the wall.

"Buffy, you're back!" Dawn was a little too loud for Buffy's comfort.

Buffy quickly closed the container door and made the hush sign with her finger over her lips. "Dawn, this is …," she said as she began to introduce him.

"Spike?" Dawn was squinting and looking confused. As he approached, Dawn reached out and touched him. "You're warm … and, and, do you still have your soul?"

William thought her comment was a little strange but gladly picked up on the conversation and continued the dialog with her.

Once Buffy finished securing the container door as best she could, she replied to Dawn's original question, "No Dawnie, not Spike, this fine young man is William. Sorta like the Prince but without all the royalty stuff." Buffy turned to William and inquired, "You aren't the royal guy are you?"

He laughed softly, "No, I am definitely not Royal blood."

Just realizing what Dawn said about Spike, Buffy address the topic. "When she fell a week ago she hit her head. I think she got a concussion but I'm not a doctor." Buffy's emotions quickly changed back to somber as she spoke. "When I got to her she was bleeding through her nose and ears. She was unconscious for two days. I don't know wha ...," her voice shuddered. She stopped and started again, "I don't know what else to do for her."

"My brother and I," he too stopped for an instant to regain his composure, "we heard bout a place on out the M1, this side of Luton."

Never being good with directions and driving, all Buffy could manage was, "Huh?"

William giggled. "Don't give it another thought, we'll figure it out later." He handed out the goodies in his pocket and everyone gladly started eating and sharing the slightly warm drink. Each seemed to sink into quiet thought until William again broke the silence. "You're from the States I gather?"

"What was your first clue?" Dawn said managing a smile to show that she was just trying to lighten the mood and not being bitchy.

"Well, for one, you all butcher the Queen's English," he said with a smile. "What are you doing over here anyway? If you're tourists, you picked a hell of a blood bad time to do a holiday to merry ole England."

"It's … a long and complicated story," Buffy said with a weary voice.

"My sister's a vampire slayer! Oh … not any vampire slayer, she's Buffy, THE Vampire Slayer." Dawn concluded with a goofy smile that eluded to her younger days when she was around his age.

"Dawn, do we have to go there?" Buffy did not want to explain the whole story.

"A what? You said a slayer? I don't think I understand." William leaned back against the container wall and settled in for a listen.

Well, okay, okay, it's like this," Dawn began her long story of the history of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. She told, an ever more interested William, about how Buffy burned down her High School gym, dated vampires, destroyed the Sunnydale High School, killed the mayor who turned into a snake, defeated a god, died twice, and eventually destroyed the entire town stopping an apocalypse.

The story lasted for three hours before the story teller and the one person audience drifted off to sleep. Buffy had long since drifted off to sleep. In sleep, she could once again see her family, her friends, and her loved ones. In sleep, she was free of the total chaos of the world around her. As she touched on their memories she felt warmed inside. In sleep all was okay again.

Buffy woke to the noise of something scrapping along the outside of the container. She instinctively clamped her hand over Dawn's mouth to prevent her from making a sound.

"What's?" William sat up and whispered.

"Quiet, they're out there." Buffy whispered as she pointed to the door.

After a few minutes of random shuffling noises coming from outside the container, a loud pounding noise hit the container door.

Dawn jumped, "Buff …," she mumbled under Buffy's hand.

"In a whisper so quiet Dawn could hardly hear it, Buffy said, "Don't say a word."

The pounding continued and then increased in frequency. It sounded like two hands then three on the door. She could hear the infected shuffling around just outside the container. She wondered if they could smell them or if they somehow heard them snoring or something. Either way, they were just outside and didn't seem too interested in leaving anytime soon. Buffy had the door jammed shut on the inside but it would not hold for long.

She got to her feet and adjusted her grubby clothes. What she wouldn't give for a bath. _"A bath. Listen to me. I'm probably gonna die here in the next minute and I am worried about a bath,"_ she thought. She walked carefully over to the container door where the infected continued to pound. She grabbed her trusty crank-shaft as a weapon and stood ready by the door.

William stood as well and started for the door until Buffy motioned for him to stay put. He went back to Dawn and sat down beside her. She was trembling and buried her face into his shirt.

"I … I don't want to see it coming," Dawn whispered.

Just then Buffy heard the unmistakable sound of a gunshot, then another and another. A hole appeared in the container and then another as high velocity bullets started penetrating the thin metal of the container wall.

"Get down!" she yelled as she turned toward Dawn and William. Just then, she felt a rock-hard stinging punch to her left arm. It violently knocked her into several stacked wooden crates near the container door. She fell to the ground with the boxes toppling over, burying her in splintered wood and crank-shafts.

She knew what it was instinctively,_ "I've been shot," she thought. _Warren had shot her once before back when that worthless scumbag killed Tara. This time Willow wasn't around to pull the bullet out of her and magically fix things. Even if she was "_Evil Willow"_ back then, she still saved Buffy's life. That was more than Buffy did for Willow this time around. Willow died trying to save Buffy one more time … loyal to the end, just like Xander.

As Buffy lay on the container floor in the wreckage of boxes and crank-shafts with the bullets flying all around, she thought about how she missed her friends. She missed Willow's whimsical, mousey, and funny personality. All they had faced together, all the battles, all the research sessions … now they are all dead, or worse. Her best friend's charred body lay in the ruins of Giles apartment.

Buffy and the others had been searching the Giles' apartment for anything he and Faith might have left behind for them concerning the infection. Without warning, a gang of the infected started clamoring up the stairwell and into the apartment. Willow and another slayer were in a far corner of the living room, separated from Buffy and Dawn. She knew she had no escape when the infected burst through the door. Buffy wondered when the exact instant Will knew it was over for her. When did she actually resign to the fact that she was going to die?

When the infected piled in the room, Willow looked at Buffy with those familiar pleading eyes. Three of them grabbed her and bite into her smooth white flesh. It was then, Willow started to convulse just before she mumbled a few words in Latin and the room exploded in fire. She had conjured up a massive fireball that destroyed the twenty or more infected attackers that flooded into the apartment. Buffy and a few others made it out a window and onto the roof of the adjoining building. They started running across rooftops as Giles apartment building began to burn.

Buffy retraced, once more in her fading consciousness, how that horrible day began with finding Giles' apartment. She recalled how the slayer team fought their way to the building. She remembered finding Giles bloodied jacket and broken glasses. She remembered how she and Willow and the others cried watching the video recording Faith had apparently made for them to document what was happening.

Giles and Faith had survived the initial assault on the building by the infected and had locked themselves in the bathroom. The recording was mainly of Giles rambling and speculating and proposing several ideas and solutions. She could hear Faith cussing in the background … then … 28 minutes later the video camera fell to the floor as the infected burst into the small bathroom.

Buffy's last thoughts before unconsciousness overcame her, where again of her friends, her family, and of days long since gone. As she slipped into unconsciousness, her last conscious words were, "mom … mom … mommy."

.

A/N: As you know, everything was wonky in London based on the movie. I hope this first chapter sounded true to the feeling of horror in the movie. After being on a whirlwind trip around the globe this year myself (Afghanistan, London, Kuwait, Iraq, etc, etc) I decided to re-read my work with a fresh eye. It is amazing how much you catch and want to tweak and improve. Hope it reads a little better than before. Thanks for all those who like my writing. I really appreciate your comments!

Please R&R!

**UPDATED 14 OCT 11**


	2. Chapter 2

**CH 2: Home Sweet Harefield**

**.**

When Buffy opened her eyes again she felt disoriented … a little dizzy. She was on a cot in a dimly lit room. A tall black man in a uniform was standing beside her. She blinked a couple times and tried to sit up. That is when her head and her left arm shot jolts of pain to her brain, quickly forcing her to lie back down. Everything seemed fuzzy and unreal. Her head pounded with each heartbeat.

"Greetings Miss, I am Major Abel, Alfred Abel, of the Commando Logistics Regiment of the Royal Marines. You look like you'd been in a bit of a barney but we have you patched up now."

"Uh … a what?" Buffy said with her usually level of bewilderment to British slang.

"A fight, Miss … A barney is a minor fight," the man said.

"Oh," Buffy said, rolling her eyes.

"I see that you are American." He pulled up a small stool from nearby and sat down beside her cot. "I am afraid you'll be stuck over here with us for some time Miss. We haven't a word from anyone outside our little group, save for an automated call from a British Army group claiming to have the cure to the infection. Their call is automated so I doubt they have a cure for anything."

"Group … where am I? Where's Dawn?" Buffy started to shack off her fuzzy confusion and started thinking a little more clear as she spoke. "My sister! Where is she?"

"You're sis had a fractured skull and a nasty break to her arm. The doc reset it. She's resting in the next room. Have no worries. You're as safe as you can be here with us for now."

Buffy started to relax a bit. She looked at her surroundings and took in everything. The room had a dozen cots, some filled, some not. Several people were walking around. It looked like a couple racks of golf clubs were pushed to one side of the room along with display cases and clothes.

The man talking to her was dressed in well worn military fatigues. He carried a gun in a holster on his belt. Although military, he had a softness about him. When he spoke to a passing Soldier, his mannerisms conveyed sincerity. This Major Abel guy seemed genuinely concerned about the people around the room. That helped put her mind to ease. With an inquiring look on her face she asked, "Where is … here?"

"Well, this WAS the Harefield Place Golf Club. My men and I found it to be rather defensible and set up operations here. Since we arrived, we've been patrolling for survivors, killing the infected. We managed to get a train running and oft use the tube to get anywhere the rail can take us."

Those people there," he pointed to a woman and a baby sitting beside a cot with an elderly man laying on it, "they watched as her husband and two other children were infected. That's her father on the bed. I can't describe what I saw when we came upon the scene." She could see his eyes were weary.

Buffy took a sip of water from a nearby Dixie cup then asked, "I assume it was you military guys who shot me as part of saving me?"

"Oh, I must say, my men had no idea you were in that container when they shot. Several infected were milling around and they were just doing their duty. I am very sorry you were injured."

She could see the weight of the last few weeks in his eyes. He had seen so many people die. She could relate to his silent pain. "How many Army guys do you have?

At present, 23 Royal Marines," he corrected her. His smile demonstrated a hint of pride in the uniform he wore. "We're Royal Marines, not Army," he explained as he pointed to the patch on his uniform.

A voice came from a computer station in the corner of the room, "My computer's being a bit of a bugger! The ripper won't sodden work."

Buffy careened her head to look toward the source of the complaint. "I so miss home. At least in California, I could understand what people were saying." Buffy frowned and looked up at Major Abel. "I've been here a few years now, on and off, and I still can't figure out how to speak British."

"That's the doc. He is trying to isolate the infection and see if anything will kill it." The Major sighed as he looked over at Buffy. "This … infection tore through our ranks. Soon, it became a free for all. The doc is a civilian we pulled out of the nearby hospital as it was overrun.

After a minute of silence he moved on with the conversation, "I was chief of the intelligence department in my battalion; now, I am the commander of this rag tag group only because I'm the highest ranking officer left alive out of our whole sodden lot. We managed to rescue 55 survivors with the addition of you fine people." He put his head in his hands. "I just hope there is … hope for us all."

Buffy smiled and reached out to touch his hand. The contact made him look up and smile with just a little glimmer of renewed optimism in his eyes. "We've all been through a lot Major Abel."

"Call me Al; you're not in the military, if there is even a bloody military left."

Buffy looked at him. Her expression once again became somewhat somber. "Why are you telling me all this stuff? I mean, I, I appreciate it and all but don't you have commander things to do?"

He thought for a moment and then looked her directly in the eyes. "Buffy, I know you're the Slayer. Your sister jabbered about it to the doc as he patched you up."

Buffy felt a little less at ease, she knew the government had considered her and the other slayers to be little more than a rogue gang. "I see," is all she said.

I knew of you before your sisters confessions; before the infection. As I said before, I work in the intelligence business. I read some of the MI-6 reports about you." He paused for an instant, "You're amazing! Not only are you a bit a crumpet, if I must say, but you have done more to save the world than most armies."

"I do my part," she said with a lopsided smile. "I died twice doing it."

"I'm telling you all this because there may be something you could do to change things." He hesitated as her eyes lit up. "It is a long shot and it is likely impossible. It would have a one in a million chance of working even if anyone survived to try."

"Al," Buffy began as she slowly sat up this time on the cot, "everyone I know is dead except for my sister. They all died just like your men died … horrible, un-unspeakable deaths, or worse … they became one of the infected. If there is something I can do to make it so my friends didn't die for nothing …," her voice trailed off as her eyes welled up with tears again.

"I understand Buffy, I do." He said as he brushed a tear drop from her dirty face. "As you know, this is biological, not supernatural. However, the Crown had a plan, just in case you Yanks couldn't contain your Hellmouth problems. We Brits had a last-ditch alternative."

"I bet it involved guns and bombs. You military types like that sorta thing I've noticed."

"I was not high enough in the intelligence community to know the details. All I know is that … down by Dover … we have an underground compound. I have never been there. We kept something there that had a serious bit of energy. It wasn't a bomb or anything like that. All I ever heard said of it was that if the Yanks screw things all to hell, we Brits would be able to fix it."

"Wha … what is it? Is it magical?" Buffy started to get excited. If she had a purpose, even a little hope, that is all she needed to get it together … a mission.

"I don't have a clue. It sounded like it had scientific properties but … maybe paranormal as well. I honestly do not know. I know I can't pull out of here and go down there to find out. It is all I can do to keep this area somewhat cleared of the infected and rescue survivors. It is a suicide mission to leave here. Even if my boys made it down there, it would mean these people would be left without protection."

She looked at him with resolute eyes, "I'll need a little time to heal up but I'd rather die trying to find this super secret British Initiative place than live like this. We can't hold out here forever. Sooner or later the bullets and the food will run out, then what?" She did not hesitate with her next sentence, "I'll go find it and see what it is and what it can do."

.

Three days had passed since Major Abel told her about the place in Dover. By now, she was able to sit up and even walk around without getting a headache. He still wanted to keep an eye on her. The bullet had passed through her arm and stopped in her shoulder muscle. He was shocked at how quickly she improved in such a short time. _"Slayer healing power is amazing,"_ she said to herself on several occasions.

William came down several times a day to see Buffy and Dawn. Without his brother, he felt alone. Dawn enjoyed the company and they became rather good at cards. Buffy seemed to enjoy his youthful excitement at the silliest of things as well.

He had made a couple friends from the growing crowd of survivors. He and Dawn also had a couple Marines who played cards with them when off shift. Dawn quickly became the center of several male's attention. Heck, it wasn't like she was a kid or anything; she's a 24 year old woman these days. Buffy reflected back on the days shortly after Dawn arrived in Sunnydale as the Key. It still amazed Buffy to think that all her memories of Dawn prior to then was placed in her head by a bunch of monks.

Finally the doctor agreed that Buffy didn't have to stay in the makeshift infirmary any longer. "Good, I've been sponge-bathed all I can stand. I think the last time your helper, Mrs. Higgins, trimmed her nails Churchill was President," Buffy told the doctor as she left her cot and walked slowly across the room. Although the doctor corrected her by pointing out that Churchill was the Prime Minister and the British did not have Presidents, she waved him off and slowly walked out the door and made her way toward the shower room.

Everybody had told her that the showers were unisex since they did not have enough electrical power or water to run more than a couple shower heads in the men's locker room. Women's hours were set at 1830 to 2130, whenever that was, all she knew was that she needed, wanted, craved, desired, a warm hot shower. Decorum and modesty had been put on a back burner anyway with millions dead, millions more infected and insane, and just a few people left alive. "_What did modesty really matter now,"_ she thought.

"Hey!" William said as she came across him in the hallway just as she departed the infirmary. He was with two other boys around his age. They looked to be playing some board game in an alcove. From the visits and conversation over the last few days, she knew she was the focus of their group crush. It was the least of her concerns. A shower was far more important right now.

"Hey William," she replied, "Where's the showers? I SO need one right now."

"Just down the hall to the stairs, then jog to your right," he said with a sheepish smile. "Oh, but it is men's time right now. Women's hours don't start for another two hours, til half-past six."

"Not gonna wait," she said as she started walking in the direction of the stairs. She was wearing a granny night gown and flip-flops from her stay in the medical area. Although Buffy thought she was far less than attractive right now, smelled like cough syrup, had layers of dirt on her body … her group of three young fans seemed to think she was _"still hot"_ and followed in close proximity.

She walked in the shower room to find it mostly empty. One older guy was shaving, another guy leaving the urinal, and one more lacing up his boots. Other than a raised eyebrow, they said nothing and went on completing their tasks. She peered into the shower area to see what she had to work with here. It was open bay with ten shower heads, eight of which were marked as out of order. The boys hesitated but walked in the locker room behind her giggling like … well … like teenage boys.

"Instead of standing there like little pervs, could someone please run upstairs and get me some clothes off the stylish yet affordable sports attire rack in the med ward?" She heard all three of them scramble for the door. "Remember, I'm small or petite," she said as they ran out.

Within a few minutes she was under the warm flow of steamy water. It was nice and hot. She wanted it so hot she could barely stand it. It flowed over her body warming her, massaging her. The pain of her wounded shoulder subsided with the caressing heat of the water.

The heat was only interrupted once when someone flushed a toilet and, for an instant, the water went cold. "Hey," she exclaimed, "the cold water villain isn't welcome here today." Within short order the water was steaming hot again. She let it flow over her hair and down her back as she stood there leaning against the wall.

She had no idea how long they had been standing there gawking at her when she noticed William and one of the other boys had returned. They were standing in the entry way to the open showers just looking at her with goofy smiles on their faces.

The other boy leaned over to William and said, "She's not shy about getting her kit off, is she?" They giggled in unison.

Finally William spoke up, "You're naked."

"It would be really hard to take a shower with my clothes on silly," she said as water ran across her lips and dripped from her chin.

"And … you've got a nice rear," William bashfully confessed, then giggled yet again.

"Really … at this point I don't really care too much if you see my booty. We could all be infected and chomping each other's arms off a few hours from now. Does it really matter if you see my 31 year old Slayer booty? Anyway, I'm old enough to be … to be … your older sister."

Most of her life, Buffy had a streak of modesty that ran through her, but after all she had seen and endured … all she wanted was this shower and nothing was going to rob her of that little enjoyment. Also, something about the hideous slaughter, the demise of all she loved … it all made her feel numb. A very familiar song popped into her head as she leaned back and let the warm water hit her face, _"I touch the fire and it freezes me …"_ She thought about how she wished she could somehow, someway, somewhere … get the fire back.

"If you're gonna stand there you might as well be of some use. See that bar of soap? You can wash my back." She glanced around briefly to see a shocked William standing there. After a few seconds she said, "Are you gonna help or not?"

William grabbed the soap and stepped toward her. He didn't care how wet his clothes got or if his shoes were soaked, this made life worth living again … just to touch her. His young friend standing back in the entry way just said, "You damn lucky bugger! How did you get the tart? I'm better lookin!"

"That's a load of bollocks, mate," William shot back at him as he gingerly brought the soap up to her back and started to move it in small expanding circles. "Like this?" he asked.

"Yep, that's perfect," she said as she leaned forward again against the wall, covering her breasts with her arms. "Oh ... for the record, you're better looking and … I don't like pop-tarts."

William couldn't tell if she was just being nice or if she really thought he was better looking. He also thought that she really didn't understand British slang. After a minute of soaping her back William asked, "Uh, how do I know what not to touch?"

"If you have to think about it, you're likely in the wrong spot," Buffy replied without hesitation. "Anyway, I am pretty sure that I can still snap your fingers like twigs with my one good slayer arm. I suggest you just don't even think about mischief."

Overall William did a good job as a backside washer and assistant hair scrubber. Only once did she have to say, "Hey, one more inch and you'll need a splint for that finger."

After an hour, she was almost done with her shower. William looked as wet as she did. She asked him if he had a razor. When he brought it back to her after he bummed it from some guy who walked in the locker room to brush his teeth, she simply started shaving her legs ... and other places with it. His eyes got even wider as he watched her shave. She finally got the boys to leave while she was still shaving just her legs under the warm shower water. Finally she finished, dried off, put her hair in a ponytail, and felt clean for the first time in weeks.

Over the next few daysshe started training again, exercising her arm, getting ready for the mission she planned to undertake. Every day she had lunch with Major Abel, which consisted on canned fruit, beans, and spam. At least she knew what was on the menu every day. She would pick his brain on everything he could speculate about concerning this secret place in Dover. He drew for her a crude map and told her that he would send two of his best men with her.

She liked Alfred; he was genuine and very proud to be a Royal Marine. He had a good heart. They would talk about more than the mission. They talked about life before the infection, what might happen now, hopes of a real rescue, past friends. It reminded her of talking with Giles but without the father figure thing going on.

Dawn was getting better as well. She had suffered a traumatic brain injury along with a couple severely mangled bones in her arm. Dawn was still a little wobbly on her feet and still a little goofy. She had suffered very minor brain damage but the doctor said that in time she should get close to normal. It was odd because sometimes it was like she was her normal responsible adult self and then she would do something that was more like the Dawn of Sunnydale times.

Between William and one of the younger Marines, Private Nelson Jones, she was getting plenty of attention. Buffy's protective sister mode kept kicking in but she dutifully held it back. Buffy knew that the attention made Dawn smile and that is what really mattered to Buffy. Buffy did tell her once, "No mischief Dawnie! No baby Dawns, one Dawn in the world is enough!"

Dawn gave Buffy that look, the one that says, _"You can't tell me what to do."_ Then Dawn smiled and just said, "I know."

The truth is, Buffy didn't want to know that level of detail. Dawn was an attractive woman and she had already had sex, so it was no big deal. It was just … with Dawn not being 100% herself, Buffy worried someone may take advantage of her. Buffy had more to worry about now. She kept telling herself that Dawn was safe and that was that.

.

William had been standing day-watch with the Marines and even managed to learn a few of their hand to hand combat maneuvers. He also managed to persuade Buffy to practice with a gun a little bit. He and Sergeant Mike Tellolvich, Sergeant Mike to all who couldn't pronounce his name, took her outside the wire on a seek and destroy mission just for practice, no need for loud gunfire near the base camp.

"Guns are bad! Okay, okay, I am bad with guns. We, we just don't get along ... guns and me," she told them both emphatically. She tried to put off the practice a couple times but William and Sergeant Mike would not take "no" for an answer.

"Firing a gun is a piece of piss if you're not afraid of it," Sergeant Mike told her.

"That's sorta gross," she replied as he handed her the loaded gun and stood with her was she took aim and fired, first, at an abandon ca, then a window, then a stray infected person who came within their kill-zone for the day. Eventually she was hitting about three or four infected out of several dozen shots she fired. "Not bad for a vampire slayer," she told them.

.

Although she liked the people in the compound, she knew it was temporary. She was too drained and too empty inside, this time, to close these people off as she had done many times in the past. She let herself enjoy the interaction, although not all was light-hearted banter. The compound was attacked several times by infected but the tier of defenses held. She even went out on an all-day mission for food supplies with a group of Marines.

During one particular lunch with Al and the doc, she started asking about the infection. "These are people, right? There not like zombies or anything? Cause I can deal with zombies," she explained.

"No, they are certainly not zombies. Buggers are all human," doc commented as he munched on his can of beans. "Their bodies show a massive infection that affects their adrenaline glands and their brains. The buggers are insane and freakin strong!"

"What's really going on around here? I mean, I can't figure out what started all this mess," Buffy asked. "Is this really mass insanity … something magical or … demonic? I can't get my brain around this whole mess."

"A scientific accident of catastrophic proportions," Major Abel flatly stated. "It is called the Rage Virus. It began as a genetically engineered strain of the Ebola virus designed to inhibit violent impulses in humans, actually to END bad behavior, crime, and so forth."

"Boy did it NOT work as planned." Buffy had to ask, "Did the government do this? Cause if it is, you all need a refund for a defective product."

"For years, several governments chipped in a few pounds here and there to the research, the UK and the US being the main players of course." After a moment of thinking and draining his coffee cup the major continued, "However, the majority of this was private sector money, big pharmaceuticals."

"Its' all about the mighty pound," William commented as he sat down with them, a bag of chips serving as his meal.

The doctor chimed in, "Just imagine if you will, a pill or injection that could empty our bloody prisons. It had incredible potential if it worked. Somehow, the virus had a reverse effect. It brought total anger instead of repressing it. Then, about a month ago, it somehow got lose, released on an unsuspecting population." The doc paused, replaying in his mind the gravity of the past few weeks.

"The infection does not kill them, they are not magically or virally undead," It can't kill them directly or reanimate those infected if they die. Also, the infected do not normally try to eat the uninfected. They bite to attack, not to eat you." The major stood to get another cup of coffee.

Buffy inquired, "And the gory vomiting stuff?"

"The vomiting is like a bird regurgitating for its young, it is a reflex action." The doctor looked stone cold but Buffy could see his eyes cloud up talking about it.

"Doc, you said they don't eat people." Buffy looked at him with some confusion. "I know you've been locked up here awhile but, I have seen a few chewed up people parts on my recent tour of merry old England."

Doc thought for a second, "Some of them could be developing a survival instinct. Most will starve to death, more consumed by hate and anger than a need for food."

"A what?" Buffy remarked somewhat in disbelief. "I thought they were closer to mindless monsters? Of course, I haven't stopped and ask any for fashion advice so I wouldn't really know," Buffy smirked.

"If this is true … this emerging survival instinct is likely because the original virus is constantly mutating. The virus remains constantly active, constantly changing. It seems to go through an extremely abbreviated form of evolution every few days." Doc removed his glasses and cleaned them as he spoke. After a natural pause, the doc continued, "I would expect some of the infected to retain a limited level of cognitive ability. If so, then they would likely start acting to meet the lower needs of Maslow's Hierarchy."

"Can you put that in Buffy terms?" Buffy asked.

"I am just saying that it makes bloody sense that some of the beasties will be smart enough to start looking for food and shelter. That might extend their lives, giving the virus more time to spread. I'm thinking the virus should starve itself out within 45 days or so. The infected should get weaker and eventually die of starvation. The longer they bloody hang on by discovering food sources, the worse it is for us."

William looked at the good doctor like he just grew a third eye or something. "How in bloody hell can it get worse? England is already destroyed. People are dying all over."

"If they don't all die off soon, the virus could easily become … airborne," the doctor stated in a cold scientific voice. "If so, the world will look like England does now."

.

The sun was shining bright the morning as she stepped out onto the porch of the club house. She looked around at a few of the beleaguered faces that came out to see her off. The little group under Major Abel had grown to 66. One by one the well wishers hugged her, William, and the two Marines that volunteered to accompany her on this mission.

Dawn leaned against the wall with a flood of tears streaming down her face, her lip trembling. "Buffy … I," she choked up. After a much needed second to compose herself, she continued. "I love you. You're all I have in this world. Please come back alive." Her voice seemed reminiscent of her youthful days back in Sunnydale.

Buffy walked over to her sister and gladly, lovingly, tenderly, hugged her for what seemed like the hundredth time this morning. "Dawn, I love you, you know that," Buffy said reassuringly. You know I've got to do this, right? I've got to try. It's what I do."

Sobbing between words Dawn simply said, "I … know, I … know, you're … the Slayer."

Buffy let her hug linger for a few more seconds and then she released it. Turning to Major Abel she said, "Please, take care of her."

"We shall." As she turned to go he spoke up once more, "Buffy, you'd make a damn fine Royal Marine." He then looked at the rest of the small group, "Good luck to all of you."

Buffy, William, Sergeant Mike and Private Jones walked off the porch and over to the line of razor wire that was set up a few hundred feet away. She looked back and waved once more at the small gathering on the porch. Turning to face Sergeant Mike she simply said, "Which way do we go?

"Well ma'am, I recommend an azimuth 230 degrees for about 15 clicks."

She looked at him baffled. "In Slayer English please."

"That direction ma'am," he pointed slightly to the left of a big tree in the distance.

"Off we go," Buffy said with determination in her voice as she stepped off in the direction Sergeant Mike had pointed. She walked with more purpose in her step than she had in a long while. Even the two Marines were hurried to keep up with her. William's long legs kept him in stride.

As she walked across the greens, past another line of razor wire, past the last guard on duty, past the mine field littered with body parts, and out of sight of the people she left behind, she knew she would likely not come back alive. At least she would die trying to do something. She was never one to wait and see what might happen. She preferred action over waiting for sure. As she and the other three marched off toward Dover she knew she had a mission, a purpose, something she could do, once again, to save the world.

**.**

**A/N:** Originally, this was the end of the story but people asked me to continue and the words came to me so I did. The story just seemed too good to end here. Warning … from here on out it may get a little darker and beware of a suggestive theme or two.

**UPDATED 16 Oct 2011**


	3. Chapter 3

**CH3: The Hide out **

**.**

The night seemed like the darkest one Buffy had witnessed since the infection broke out just 24 days ago. Tonight there was no moon, no stars, and, obviously, no streetlights … just scary, terrifying darkness. The power grid had long since failed. Out there … it was a frightening darkness where death moved about freely, like roaches in the night.

The infected were darting all over the street below … grunting, moaning and attacking anything that moved, other than their fellow infected. The few … the very few … normal people who remained alive and not contaminated had to be in hiding, scared and defenseless against the hordes of fiends roaming around. She counted herself, and her three companions, as some of the lucky few left alive, for now.

Buffy carefully watched the scene on the city street below from the false safety of the third story apartment window where she and her group were hiding for the night. They had been gone all of two days from the base camp and things were not going well. Infected seemed to be everywhere. The van they had acquired along the way broke down just a few hours ago when Sergeant Mike drove through a cluster of about twenty infected. A pair of them had gotten jammed up under the van and broke something. Now … here they sat, in a small apartment, somewhere slightly south of London.

Broken stores windows and trash line the streets along with dead bodies and the half eaten remains of what once were people. Buffy wondered how anybody could survive in this hell. The few people who were not infected in this town must have taken shelter in their basements or something reinforced. "Barricading the doors and windows seemed to do little if the infected find you," she said in a whisper to William who was huddled beside her as much for safety as for warmth.

"How long can we live like this? I mean, we've been gone just two days and have barely survived several run-ins with the buggers," gesturing with his eyes to the infected people roaming the street below like rabid animals. "We're bloody lucky to be alive this far away from the base camp." William complained as he looked out again onto the street below.

"But ," Buffy began, "we have made it this far, that's something I guess." Buffy offered the thought without the slightest indication of hope in her voice as she continued to gaze out the window.

"That's just ace," William commented in slight sarcasm.

"That's a bit cheeky lad. You signed up to come along as I recall." Sergeant Mike chimed in as he sat against a nearby wall finishing off a small can of beans for his dinner. "We gotta go round London or those buggers will get us for sure. It'll take longer but it's a better plan."

Private Jones sat in another corner of the small apartment putting his rifle back together. When he completed his task, he motioned for William to come over to him. "Hey Will buddy," they had built a bit of a friendship playing cards with Dawn back at the base camp, "want me to show you how to clean your weapon?"

In a few minutes, William, with the help of Private Jones, had his L86A1 rifle totally apart and was about to began cleaning it. Buffy watched as the two enjoyed a little whispering banter and laughed to herself as they talked of girls, guns, cars, and sports. For a minute, it seemed like the horror just outside was a million miles away.

In a short time Private Jones was helping William snap the weapon back together. "There you go … that goes here … and that piece fits … there, and … Bob's your uncle!"

As she listened to them, Buffy thought, _"How can so many people have Bob as an uncle?"_

"Not a bad bodge job I would say," Sergeant Mike quietly scowled from his corner, observing the reassembled weapon.

William looked disappointed with Sergeant Mike's comment but shrugged it off. Turning back to Private Jones he said, "Hey Nelson, how many bullets this thing hold?"

"It holds thirty in the mag," Private Jones quickly responded.

Sergeant Mike seemed to be looking to stir up a little drama. He had known for awhile that William had a crush on Buffy, so out of the blue he asked, "How old are ya Will my boy?"

"Fifteen," he sheepishly replied, avoiding Buffy's gaze. "My birthday is in a few days."

"That's a might powerful weapon for a lad your age." Sergeant Mike taunted, "Think you can handle it?"

"Put a sock in it, will ya? I'm handling it just fine so far," William retorted. "I had a bloody shotgun before this."

After the banter died down, the discussion turned to who had first watch. Finally, each of them slowly drifted off into their own troubled sleep … Sergeant Mike taking first watch, then William, then Buffy, then Private Jones. Each spending their two hour watch thinking about lost friends, loved ones, life before the infection broke out.

The next morning Buffy woke and walked over to the window to peak outside. The day was starting out gloomy but the sun seemed to be trying to break through the clouds. She immediately noticed that the infected where still outside milling around the streets and abandoned store fronts.

Sergeant Mike decided to set up a kill zone to clear a way through the infected that still roamed around below. After detailing the plan to Buffy and William, both of the Marines took up positions on the roof. William would fire from the apartment window. Buffy, who had a bayonet, a baseball bat, and a double barreled shotgun, had the apartment building front door, just in case anything got in the building. Additionally, she had the pleasure of being the bait, since she could run the fastest.

She started it off bolting out of the apartment building with her ball bat in hand. The three men watched from their vantage points, somewhat in awe, as she single handedly downed one, then another, then another with her crude weapon. A couple times a few of the infected started to block her in a corner. Sergeant Mike and Private Jones would alternate making a kill shot to drop one of them. After dropping a total of five on her own and three with help from Sergeant Mike, she made it around the growing group of infected. Getting their attention was easy. Making it back to the safety of the apartment building was a bit of a challenge.

Slamming one more infected out of her way with the bat, she jumped on top of a wrecked car, and then into a second story window of the apartment building. The men on the roof started shooting as she made it to her position guarding the main door. Within twenty minutes, the street was silent. A total of thirty-eight infected lay dead.

Within a few minutes of leaving the safety of the apartment hiding place, Private Jones had found an abandoned taxi-cab as a replacement for the disabled van. Dodging groups of infected and getting lost several times made the trip seem longer than it should have been but, by late in the afternoon they made it to the town of Leatherhead, England.

Leatherhead was directly on the way to Dover but it was also very significant to Private Jones. This was his hometown. It took a great deal of talking but Private Jones pleaded to just stop at his parent's house so he could check and make sure … one way or the other.

Sergeant Mike was against it and would not budge on his decision. "This is a critical mission! We have to get to Dover. We're not on a sodden school trip!"

"It's my mum, my sister! They're just a couple kilometers away! PLEASE!" Private Jones was starting to break away from the cold hard Royal Marine discipline he had exercised thus far in the trip. "This is why I agreed to come. I just gotta see with my own eyes."

"Come on ya wanker, let him see," William chimed in, glad to embarrass Sergeant Mike for a change. "He says we're passin right by."

It started to become a heated debate in the car. They had even pulled over on the highway so as to give full attention to the argument at hand. Buffy looked out the car window as they sat on the M25. They had passed hundreds of cars, hundreds more dead. True to her style, she became tired of sitting. She wanted out of the car. She wanted to be doing … something … anything.

Finally, she spoke up. "ENOUGH! If it were my family, nothing would stop me. Let's go see if anybody is alive." With that, the argument ended and they were moving again, headed to the home of Private Jones' family.

**.**

**Leatherhead, England**

Sergeant Mike threw the door open all the way and practically jumped into the room. He was not one for subtle maneuvers. He looked around at the room and moved further into the house. It was a mess. Cupboards had been thrown open and the contents dumped out onto the floor, windows were broken, floorboards yanked up, curtains torn down, and blood was smeared everywhere. "Not much left here," Sergeant Mike said with a tone of certainty.

Private Nelson Jones walked over to the nearest window and peered out at the empty street. Seeing no one, he said, "Let's try the house next door. That's the house of my grandma!" Without a word of approval from the others, Nelson stepped through the large broken window and outside into the yard.

Everyone was started for a moment at his bold move. William gave a momentary look more or less to make sure no infected where lurking around. He then, with a dart, headed out the broken window as well and made it to the house next door. As he stuck his head through what used to be a front door, he could hear Buffy and Sergeant Mike quickly leaving the previous house and coming up behind him.

"Nelson," he whispered, "where are ya mate?"

Will heard Private Jones calling out in desperate hope that someone would answer him back. "Is anybody here? Hey! Grandmum? Anyone?" Nelson's voice became slightly more frantic as he bolted around, searching every room in the house. He opened the door to the grandmother's bedroom as his hopes started to diminish. It was an empty room.

Sergeant Mike warily caught up to him as Private Jones entered the last bedroom at the end of the hall. "What the bloody hell are you doing man! Ya lost all your yer training in a few seconds?"

Tears streaming down his face, Nelson could only whimper out his reply, "This was … my family." He turned to a wall and leaning heavily into it, started to sob uncontrollably.

William checked the bathroom as Nelson continued to sob. He held his stomach to keep from throwing up at what he found. Nelson's grandmother and someone else had been mutilated so badly that only a few bits and pieces of meat and bones remained. It was obvious that the two victims were literally ripped apart. Their remains were scattered in a pool of dried blood in the middle of the bathroom floor.

Buffy wiped her eyes, trying not to break down. The pain of seeing all you know, love, care for, brutally destroyed … it brought back so many memories over the last few weeks. For a few minutes, she again felt what Private Jones felt. She kneeled down beside him and began to cry with him. They both slumped to the floor.

The crying soon became a whimper and within a few minutes they all sat or stood in silence. The world had gone insane. Each one of them wondered in their own way, if this was … or is now … all that there is … everywhere?

Eventually, and very warily, they made their way back to the car. Several of the infected started running toward them from between a couple nearby houses but Buffy and the others were already moving down the road well ahead of them.

They sat in silence for almost 30 minutes as Sergeant Mike navigated the car down side roads and country lanes paralleling the highway. After an hour of side roads, they finally made it back on to the highway and started making better time. They could only get up to 35-40 mph because they had to constantly dodge wrecks and human remains. A lot of debris was piled up on the highway the closer they got to Maidstone. Buffy also noted that it was getting rather late in the afternoon and the sun would be going down soon. Life was risky enough during the day but at night you couldn't see the devils coming until they had you.

Finally, the consensus of the group was to go back to the little side roads to get to the town. When the taxi they were riding in zipped right by Mereworth Castle, Buffy thought of Xander, Willow, Giles, and happier days when she was queen of Castle-Slayerville.

In the little community of Teston several infected rushed the car. Private Jones, Buffy, and William stuck gun barrels out the top of the windows and cleared the way. Buffy even thought, _"This shotgun stuff is not that bad! I might even have to get one for myself when this is all over." _Then it hit her … what would the world, and her life, be like when this was really over? _"What if there were no other survivors left in the world and … and … JUST SURVIVING was it."_ Perhaps all she could hope to do for the rest of her life was to run?

At last, the little car, made it into Maidstone just as the sun set on the cloudy horizon. Private Jones said what was on everyone's mind, "Somebody forgot to put out the match." He was referring to the fact half the town had burned down and was still smoldering.

"Guys, the place is a little toasty. Maybe we shouldn't stop here," Buffy commented. "We passed that Mereworth place awhile back. Maybe we could go back to there."

It took a moment for Sergeant Mike to comment. He actually was thinking that her idea sounded pretty good however, there was a little problem. Finally he flatly stated, "We're about out of petrol. I can't believe I let us get this low!" He was clearly mad at himself for it.

"I'm sure we can find some bloody gas somewhere," Will added for comfort.

"Yeah, I doubt everything is burnt to the ground," Private Jones noted. "Maybe we can find a pump somewhere."

As they drove through the smoldering homes and ashes Buffy said, "Anybody got marsh-mellows?" She was trying, for an instant, to escape the reality of the devastation and capture the whimsical days of her youth when the world could be ending and she would be so confident and glib. Now, she felt like the years after Sunnydale, the strain of lost relationships, the devastation of this … _"infection"_ left her feeling like a shell of her former self.

"Hey … LOOK!" Will practically screamed it in Buffy's ear.

They all saw it. Sergeant Mike stopped the car so they could get a better look. It was a sign painted on a bed sheet and nailed to the side of a half burnt building. It read, "SURVIVORS , SAFE HOUSE." It included an arrow below pointing down a side street.

"Shall we give it a go?" Private Jones said with a tone of hope ringing in his voice.

"We really don't have much choice, as I see it," Sergeant Mike added. "Its here or out of petrol in a few kilometers."

"Give it a go then. I am all for the 'go' idea." Buffy shifted in her seat. "Not to mention, I gotta pee too."

Within an instant they were headed in the direction of the arrow. This part of the town had not burnt. Debris littered the streets and no infected were detectable as they drove down the side street finding two more signs that finally led them to a large two-story building that appeared to be a tavern.

As they pulled up to the building, Sergeant Mike and Private Jones jumped out of the car and took up a position guarding the others as they got out. They all ran for the building. William was the first one to the front door.

"Damn! Nailed shut," William exclaimed.

"Maybe they have another way in," Buffy offered.

"If so, find it in a hurry before we get visitors." Sergeant Mike said in his steal cold military fashion.

Buffy rounded the side of the building to find two infected, likely former citizen of this town, eating a freshly buried corpse they had dug up from a shallow grave behind the tavern. They were no more than thirty feet away from her. They saw her instantly, dropping a rotting leg each as they ran toward her.

"Oh my," is all she whispered. Without further hesitation, she brought the double barreled shotgun to her shoulder, clicked off the safety, and pulled the trigger. The first of the two attackers tumbled to one side and fell to the ground with his chest flayed open from the blast.

The second attacker was within feet of the end of Buffy's gun when she pulled the trigger again. The impact of the blast knocked him back and to the ground, lifeless.

The sound of the blast had already drawn the other three of the team around the corner and to her location. William was there beside her just as the second one fell to the ground.

"Bloody hell," is all Sergeant Mike said for a moment as he surveyed the situation. "Lets' get going before more arrive."

"I … I had no choice. I had to …," Buffy started to offer.

"He knows luv, just afraid what the noise will bring," Private Jones said to her as they jogged back toward the car.

Just then, they heard a voice, "Hey … hey … up here!"

Someone had flung open a second floor window and started to drop a rope ladder. Even with the fading sunlight still providing some decent visibility, Buffy couldn't see who it was calling for them.

The voice called out again, "Come on up, hurry!"

Buffy looked back at Sergeant Mike. He nodded a quick yes. Buffy helped William up first then she started to climb up. The sound of several rounds of gunfire broke the silence. Both Private Jones and Sergeant Mike were dropping the several infected that had popped out of nowhere and were running toward them.

In short order, they were all up the ladder and in the window before any of the remaining infected made it to the building. They were all standing in a narrow hallway. The shadowy voice who had called them up the ladder stood in near darkness. The shadowy figure lit a small candle to provide enough light to guide them down a nearby set of stairs and into the main part of the pub.

"My name is Sarr. I am the leader here." He said, as they all entered the larger room. Sarr was a small man clearly of Asian descent. His English however, was impeccable. He looked to be about 40 give or take a few years.

The room they walked into seemed very dark with only a few candles scattered about, providing light. Three other people sat in the room as well, one younger girl around Will's age, and two men, both much older, standing in the shadows near the boarded up exists.

Buffy could sense something was wrong with this situation. Her slayer senses were seldom wrong. Whatever it was that troubled her seemed, to some extent, familiar. It was an oddly déjà vu kind of feeling. "Where's your little girl's room around here. I, so, have to tinkle!"

Looking toward the young girl, Sarr simply nodded. The girl got up, grabbed an extra candle and lit it off of one of the others and walked over to Buffy. Sarr, and one of the men in the room, started talking about _"how good it was to see more people"_ and _"we can all have dinner tonight."_

The girl led Buffy to a bathroom down a short hallway. She looked about 16-17 years old, small frame, brown hair, a few freckles, and maybe … 110 lbs at most. Buffy noticed that the girl seemed a little mousey and delicate. It amazed Buffy that the girl had survived the current apocalypse thus far.

"Here, you'll need this to see," she simply said as she passed the candle to Buffy. Buffy noticed the girl sounded American. As their hands touched, Buffy noticed the girl's hand was ice cold. Buffy acted a little startled for an instant.

The girl noticed Buffy's reaction, "Anything wrong?"

A big Buffybot kind of smile crossed Buffy's face as she said, "Nope, not at all."

"Well, my name is Kate if you need anything." With that said, the girl turned and walked back into the darkness toward the group of men back in the pub area.

When Buffy returned to the group, Sergeant Mike and Private Nelson Jones had shed their usual combat gear of vest, knives, guns, jacket, hat, and assorted material and were having a few shots of scotch at the bar. William had a beer in his hand and was talking to the Kate girl. Sarr and his men were eyeing everyone rather decisively, something more than friendliness on their mind.

"We've been hold up here for just over two weeks," Sarr was saying to Sergeant Mike.

"How did half the bloody town burn down?" Private Jones asked.

"Natural gas line ruptured. It happened five days ago." One of the men in the background spoke up.

"Up until the fire, we had a few people stop by about every other day … seeing our signs, of course."

"Where are they at then?" Buffy asked with a playful tone in her voice that made William look up from his conversation with Kate. He thought it a little out of character for her for some reason. "If they stopped by, where are they?"

"Oh … some are asleep in the back, others … moved on," Sarr commented.

Buffy pressed the question, "Like buried out back, kinda moved on?"

"Oh, those … are … a few misfortunate souls that became infected," Sarr explained. "Once we killed them, we buried them so the other infected wouldn't be attracted to the area … smell of blood and all"

"Good thinking," Buffy said in a bubbly voice emphasized with a head nod. She backed into the shadows and starting walking around the room looking at the little nick-knacks that decorated the walls. The place looked like a Cracker Barrel back in the states, with all sorts of things nailed to the wall.

"Anyway … gentlemen, and lady, where are my manners?" Looking over his shoulder Sarr gave an order to one of the men in the shadows, "Jacob, go get the others and lets have dinner."

The sound of a crack and wood splinter caught everyone's attention. They looked back to see Buffy prying the broken wooden handle of an old farm tool off the wall.

"That won't do much miss against the monsters outside," Sarr spoke up.

Spinning the foot long piece of jagged wood in her hands, she plainly point out, "Oh it's not for the monsters out there. It is for the monsters … in here."

Sarr's centuries of experience told him the charade was over. His face transformed into the familiar lump faced demon that resided within him.

Private Jones and Sergeant Mike quickly stood up and backed away from the bar. William looked back toward Kate to see her eyes had turned a glowing blue. She stared back at him, her fangs extended. The sight scared him so bad he let out a slight scream and ran over to where Nelson and Sergeant Mike stood in the center of the room.

Sarr looked at Buffy as he slowly walked toward William and the group. She was just stepping out of the shadows to join her little team. "My plan is to drain three of you to feed my hungry crew. I think we will keep one of you alive for awhile and ration out your blood just in case we do not get visitors for a few more days."

"Sorry to pop your bubble but, not gonna happen. I am thinking that I will dust all but one of you and then toss that one out the window tomorrow as a distraction so we can get away." Buffy said as she casually surveyed the room.

"That is rather bold talk for … say, you do look a little familiar," Sarr said with a little surprised look on his face. "Have I seen you on television or something?"

"I dunno," Buffy said with an attitude of confidence in her voice that had been missing for some time now. "Ever heard the name Buffy the Vampire Slayer?" She started walking briskly past William in a direct line for Sarr.

"The Slayer!" Sarr belted out in a deep guttural tone. About that time, the man who went for the _"others"_ … and the … _"others"_ walked into the room, changing into their game faces instantly.

Buffy jumped feet first toward Sarr, locking her legs around Sarr's neck. She flung him to the other side of the pub in a move that would make a WWE wrestler proud. Sarr slammed into a table and then hit the nearby wall with a thud.

"Oh my God!" Buffy heard Private Jones yell as a dark male figure jumped on him from the gang of vampires that seemed to fill the room. A second vampire joined in. Private Jones fell to the floor kicking and screaming.

In the fray, the young girl vampire, Kate, jumped on William with incredible lightning like speed and wrestled him to the floor. She looked at him with a sense of guilt as she bent down to slide her fangs into his neck. He squirmed under her superior strength just enough that she missed the artery in his neck and repositioned her mouth for a second try. Suddenly her entire body was lifted off William and went hurtling behind the bar, crashing into the rows and rows of bottles kept there.

Buffy's foot came down on the other side of William's head. "First rule with vampires, don't let them bite you!" She pulled William to his feet just in time to sweep his feet out from under him again and bring him back down to the floor. Dust rained down on him as Buffy plunged her makeshift stake into one of the male vampires that seemed to come out of the shadows.

Sergeant Mike head butted a black female vampire right in the nose just as she grabbed him. She went staggering back for an instant. He hastily pulled out his pistol and put two rounds in her chest. She reeled from the shots, let out an abrupt, short yelp but kept standing.

"You have no IDEA how much that stings mate!" she said through her rows of jagged teeth. She leaped on him from where she stood and wrestled him to the floor. His gun went flying out of his hand. No matter how hard he elbowed her in the throat; it seemed to have little effect on the vampire. Next, he tried to choke her.

"I don't need to breath you bloody idiot!" She pinned one of his arms and pushed his head to one side, exposing his neck. Using one of his combat fighting moves (thumb to the eye), he managed to avoid her bite and got back to his feet. They started trading blows for an instant before she had him back down on the barroom floor.

Nelson needed serious help with the vampires attacking him. One, an older woman, had a solid bite into his inner thigh and was draining him quickly. The male vampire had his fangs in Nelson's neck.

William put the barrel of his rifle to the male vampire's head and rapidly pulled the trigger five to six times. The vampire fell off Nelson and rolled on the ground next to them. He was still very alive, just seemingly and, most certainly, temporarily in pain and disoriented. The female vampire raised her head at the sound of the gunshots and backhanded William across the room. William fell hard on the table behind him, blood running from his nose and mouth, evidence of where she had hit him.

The older female vampire was back on Nelson instantly with her hand around his throat. She exploded into dust exposing Buffy behind the cloud. Nelson lay weak and drained, still on the floor. The male vampire next to him started to stagger to a kneeling position.

With a quick turn Buffy took two steps and did a flying kick to the bullet hole riddled head of the vampire. The kick was a perfect field goal, literally! It was hard enough that the vampires head came off and he burst into dust within an instant.

Just then Sarr cracked a chair across her back. Buffy kept standing but the hit seemed to daze her a bit. Sarr punched her with all the force he could muster then grabbed her from behind and threw her over the bar. Buffy smacked against the wall in the same place where the young vampire, Kate, had hit alongside the broken bottles. Buffy fell across the young female vampire who was holding her side and still stunned from her own trip across the bar a few seconds earlier thanks to Buffy's foot.

Starting to lose the wrestling match on the floor, Sergeant Mike reached across the rubbish scattered floor and grabbed his pistol. As the vampire sank her teeth into his neck he said, "If those last shots stung, hope this gives you a blood migraine!" Putting the gun to the side of her head and pulling the trigger, he was able to dislodge her fangs from his neck and roll out from under her.

Sergeant Mike, being a quick learner, grabbed a broken chair leg and rammed it into the vampire's chest. She groaned but didn't turn to dust. Repositioning the makeshift stake and thrusting again, he found his mark and she dissolved into dust before his eyes. Scanning the room for more vampires, he saw only one running up the stairs, a short stocky man with a beard. Retrieving his combat knife laying on the floor beside his rifle, Sergeant Mike went after the man.

Kate pushed Buffy off of her and scooted under the bar for cover, a large shard of wood lodged in her stomach. Buffy quickly got to her feet and pulled the piece of wood from Kate's stomach and readied it to stake the young girl. Kate's eye flashed back to brown and her vampire fangs retracted. Buffy hesitated for an instant; the girl seemed so young and innocent.

A second later, Buffy slammed the stake in Kate's chest. While waiting to see Kate explode into dust, unexpectedly Buffy went flying backward. Sarr had her by the hair, slamming her through a door and into the back storage room. "I am not done with you Slayer!"

"Oh really," Buffy said, standing up about as quickly as she hit the floor. "I'm not done with you either, sorta like a cat sometimes plays with a mouse before the kill." Buffy smiled taking a step toward Sarr.

He instinctively backed up a step. In his 387 years as a vampire, he had heard plenty of stories about slayers. "I'm going to rip off your head and drink from your torso!"

"Not likely," she commented. After a moment of reflection she continued, "You know, these last few weeks … existing in a world of ravenous infected super-zombies has sorta stolen my motivation. Before I dust you, I wanna thank you for helping me refocus. Slaying vampires sorta gives a girl purpose again."

"You wont kill me Slayer," Sarr snarled back at her.

Buffy took several more steps toward Sarr, "For awhile there, I thought all the vampires were dead already. It's refreshing to fight JUST vampires."

Just then, a plank of wood caught Buffy across the back of the head and she went stumbling toward Sarr. He grabbed Buffy in a headlock and quickly ran her head into the nearby wall. Buffy didn't even see who it was that clobbered her with the plank but, _"they SO had to die for that plank to the noggin._"

Bringing her foot up from behind her, she hit Sarr in the back. It gave her time to dislodge her head from the wall and turn to face him. As she and Sarr traded a few punches and blocks, Buffy noticed a blonde figure standing in a corner with what looked like a couple whiskey bottles … ready to strike.

After trading a few more blows with the Slayer, Sarr was starting to get a little sloppy with his strikes. Buffy slammed her back against the wall and suddenly brought her legs up and gave a powerful kick. Sarr went sailing through the air and hit the blonde figure standing on the other side of the room. Sarr and the figure fell to the floor in a tangled mass.

Back out in the main part of the pub, William wobbled over to his friend Private Jones, "Nelson, get up. We need to help Buffy." William pulled the pale, weak Private to his feet. They collected their weapons from around the area and started to head for the shattered doorway where Buffy and Sarr were fighting. As they rounded the end of the bar, William saw Kate with the stake in her hand. She had pulled it out of her chest. Blood was everywhere.

"Wait!" he said to Nelson as he walked toward Kate. She was still hiding under the bar counter, breathing heavily. William called back to his friend, "Nelson, hand me your knife."

Not far away in the storeroom, Buffy reached down and grabbed a handful of blond hair, pulling the hair and it's attached owner to face level. The blonde hair thrashed in protest but was otherwise ineffective against Buffy's grasp. "Okay, looks like you get to die first."

"Heeeey! Wait a minute. I didn't do anything. I was minding my own … Buffy? Buffy Summers?"

"Harmony?" Buffy was speechless for a second.

"Buffy, thanks for rescuing me from all these evil vampires," Harmony blathered, still stuck in Buffy's tight grip.

"Harmony, YOU are an evil vampire!" Buffy let loose of Harmony's hair.

"What … me? No, I'm not!" Harmony started to argue. "I worked for Angel and I reformed and I even had … like … a talk show and everything."

"And you turned the government and military and a good number of the stupid people in the world against me!" Buffy countered.

As Buff and Harmony argued, Sarr relocated his dislocated shoulder and unexpectedly swept Buffy's feet out from under her. She fell to the floor with Sarr immediately on top of her. Harmony, figuring that Sarr couldn't beat the Slayer, decided that this was her only chance to prove herself to the Slayer and hopefully live. She started halfheartedly kicking Sarr.

Without much effort, Buffy rolled Sarr off of her and grabbed him from behind as he stood up. Bringing her right forearm up and under his jaw and digging her fingers into the back of his head, she set her other hand on the opposite side of his head. With a little grunt she gave a hard twist. The rapid motion snapped his neck and he went numb all over. Buffy continued twisting and … a second later resulted in his head coming all the way off. Sarr turned to dust.

"Private Nelson Jones reporting for duty," he said weakly as he stumbled into the room with his rifle.

Buffy looked at Harmony for a full minute then said to Private Jones, "If she moves, shoot her fingernails off and mess up her hair really bad!"

About that time, Sergeant Mike came from a small door in the corner of the store room. It led from the upstairs. "Got the bloke," is all he said.

William stepped in to the room as well, with Kate in hand; surprising Buffy that Kate wasn't dust already.

"Who's this little tart?" Sergeant Mike pointed his combat knife at Harmony.

"Mike, meet Harmony, Harmony … Mike." Buffy said with disgust in her voice as she walked over to William and Kate.

"Will, you want me to do it? I must be getting rusty, I swore I hit the heart but second time is a charm." Buffy could tell that William did not want to kill the girl. "She'll be dust just like that … poof, all gone."

Kate flinched at the sound of her fate being discussed in front of her. "I don't want to be … poofed," Kate said weakly, still wobbling from her wounds.

Buffy looked at William, "She's a vampire, not a chia-pet … and NO … we can't keep her."

"Buffy, she's hurt, she needs our help." William offered several more excuses to Buffy in rapid fire succession as a way to explain his reasons to not dust Kate.

"She's not THAT hurt. She will heal before you do! Also, you're a snack to her … or did you conveniently forget that factoid?" Buffy couldn't exactly tell if her anger with William was just stress from being attacked, the insanity of keeping vampires around, or maybe … just maybe … she was a little jealous that William wanted someone else for company. After all, SHE was the focus of his puppy-love crush.

Buffy thought of how Xander responded years ago back in Sunnydale when she first told him that Dawn had a crush on Spike. He pestered her all the way home from the train station about how HE was suppose to be Dawn's crush, not Spike! _"Maybe I am just being silly like Xander,"_ she thought.

After several more minutes of arguing with William, Buffy finally admitted to herself, _"I did sorta keep Spike around even when it didn't make sense."_ In the end, nothing was resolved, other than Kate wasn't getting dusted right then and there.

Within an hour after the fighting ended, everyone was back in the bar opening up cans of whatever food was available on the shelves back in the storeroom. Buffy kept looking around the room. Harmony was openly flirting with Sergeant Mike and that Kate girl conversing with William non-stop. It was just Private Jones and Buffy who sat in silence as the others chatted away.

After eating some beans and carrots, Buffy got up and walked over to where William and Kate we quietly talking and laughing. Not waiting for an invite, she sat down at the table with William and the rickety looking Kate. Both were sitting at a table in a corner of the pub, away from the others. "Okay, we need to talk," Buffy said looking at Kate.

"Wh … what about?" Kate opened her eyes wide as Buffy addressed her.

"You're eyes were blue before I staked you and you didn't get lumpy. I thought it was just me but when you didn't dust, I knew something was funny." Buffy crossed her arms waiting for a reply.

Kate started weakly, "I think I am a different kind of vampire than the others. I … I was just turned three months ago. My boy … boyfriend and I were hiking across Germany for summer break. We were attacked by a car load of drunken vampires. They … they killed him … rip … ripped him apart."

Buffy let the girl regain her voice for a moment. "Okay," Buffy prodded, "… go on."

"The girl who sired me, her na … name was Karana ... She said I am now part of the new clan or coven or something of the Old World." Kate closed her eyes for an instant, when they opened again, they were an electric blue for an instant.

Buffy furrowed her brow. She was thinking about something she vaguely remembered hearing Giles say to the other slayers in training. _"What was it? What was it?"_ She thought hard. Looking at William's neck wound, it hit her. She grabbed her cross necklace and touched it to Kate's skin. Nothing happened.

"You're one of those … Underworld vampires!" Buffy stood and stepped back from the table. Everyone in the room looked her way. "Your … your vampirismness isn't … magic or supernatural or whatever, it's a virus," Buffy looked at William. "I remember Giles telling me about your kind. Your bite releases a … vampire virus; the victim doesn't have to drink your blood or anything."

William's eyes went wide. He stood up too, looking scared as he glanced between Kate and Buffy. "Am I gonna turn into one of you … Am I?" he asked Kate.

"I … I … don't know. I've never turned anyone. Until the infection, they had just given me blood when I wanted it." Kate answered back to William with a sorrowful tone in her voice. "I … missed your main blood vessel in your neck so I don't thing I did anything to change you."

Harmony spoke up, "Please! … Those virus vamps are not all that special. They're not even that common these days. It takes them forever to be able to reproduce and … I think they had some big argument with some werewolves and lost. Oh, oh!" Harmony remembered, "I think there's another group almost like them. Heck, they're all the time fighting over something. I dated this one vampire who said …" Harmony was obviously proud of herself for remembering all that.

"HARMONY!" Buffy shriek, "How would you know about them anyway unless they had a new hairstyle … and … and … who cares about your dates! What about the biting!" Buffy was at her wits end with the ditzy fair-haired vampire.

"Oh, working at Wolfram & Hart back in my LA days I would see some of them come in the office," Harmony said with a big grin. "They are soooo … like … old school. There weren't more than a couple thousand of them all over the world, in some houses or group homes or something like that. I am thinking there are lots fewer … now with the infection thing going around."

"Well duh … and the biting?" Buffy started to lose her cool. "Harmony, I need to know if William is gonna be okay!"

"Most of the time it doesn't work at all from what I hear. They've gotta be a hundred years old or something before they can really change anybody. Otherwise, there would be zillions of them if all they had to do was bite ya."

"So, you're saying William will be okay?" Buffy couldn't help but show a little tone of affection in her voice for the boy.

Sure … or … or," Harmony stuttered.

Buffy narrowed her eyes, "Or what Harmony?"

"Or … it turns the person into a weirded out kinda vampire-zombie. But I'm sure ole Willy boy there will be just fine." Harmony said with a hesitant smile.

"While I'm deciding if … and when … to kill both of you," Buffy said glancing from Harmony to Kate and back again, "I think you and I need to have a little private conversation." Buffy motioned for Harmony to follow her to the storeroom. Harmony was clearly a little nervous. Sergeant Mike got up and followed behind them in to the back room. Although Buffy glanced at him with disapproval for following them, she did not say anything about it.

After a few minutes of probing Harmony about Kate's specific breed of vampire, Buffy was satisfied that William had a good chance of not changing into one of them. Harmony mentioned that Kate's type of vampire had their own rogue hunter who kept them in check, "… some guy with a bunch of big knives," Harmony recalled. "I think they tossed him in jail for tax evasion," she added.

With that settled Buffy turned her attention to Harmony herself. Looking at Sergeant Mike, Buffy said bluntly, "Mike, you know what she is," pointing at Harmony. "Any reason I shouldn't dust her now? She's a vampire for God's sake. Don't you think we have enough out there to deal with?"

"Bloody hell there is a reason not to kill her," Sergeant Mike said with more than a little alcohol in his system. "I'm feelin a little randy here and me and the little tart are planning to shag all night." Mike looked over at Harmony with desire in his eyes. "After all, I've seen her on the tele … big fan you know."

"You can't be serious," disgust evident in Buffy's voice, "she'll kill you!"

"I don't think so." Sergeant Mike motioned out the storeroom door toward a very pale Private Jones. "I got me a lookout, so don't ya fret mate … all's peaches."

"Uh … icky ick," Buffy commented, wrinkling up her nose. She then looked at Harmony, "and you're okay with that?"

"Nervously giggling Harmony commented, "He's a fan. You know … do anything for the fans."

"How about I just dust you instead?" Buffy looked at Harmony with loathing in her eyes. "I think your half drunk fan here can't stop me." She grabbed harmony by the throat and lifted her off the ground.

"Hey … hey! Put her down now." Sergeant Mike was standing next to Buffy, tugging unsuccessfully on her arm.

Buffy released Harmony after a few long seconds and Harmony gracefully fell into Mike's arms. "How sweet," Buffy said through gritted teeth. "Nobody here seems to get it. Vampires kill people!"

"Look Buffy, I know you're still mad about me being your arch nemesis and all but that's in the past, like ancient Sunnydale history. I forgave you for stealing my Spikey!" Harmony said with a pleading tone to her voice.

"Look, I didn't ask to be here," Harmony started to explain. "I got trapped in here by the infected, just like everyone else. I was doing a photo shoot in London and then this … this … infection thing, just happened! I didn't cause it or nothing," Harmony added for good measure.

Buffy just glared at Harmony, seriously thinking about ending Harmony's existence in a whirling pile of dust right then and there. Sergeant Mike started to say something but Buffy cut him off with just the look in her eyes.

"Buffy, just leave me here. In the morning I'll figure something out for myself. Just don't kill me … please." Harmony started to sniffle.

Buffy walked away from Harmony and Sergeant Mike. She headed back into the pub area and directly to the table with William and Kate still sitting there. She looked at William, "Looks like you might not change. If you do, I'll … do my job … on both of you."

Buffy then looked right at Kate, "From what I remember of your kind, you won't get better without fresh blood in your system to replace your used up blood. As it stands, you will just keep getting weaker … and then die. That's not a bad prospect actually since I am sorta low on silver stakes."

"You talk like your might have changed your mind. Can she live, please?" William inquired.

"Since what she … is … was caused by a disease, she still has something like a soul I think. I so wish Giles was here. He could tell us all about it."

Kate spoke up weakly, "That's right. I'm not like the others."

Buffy continued, "Well, maybe not right now … but the virus will eat away at your soul, if I remember what Giles told us, you do eventually lose what connects you to hunamity." Buffy's thought of Giles … all he had been to her … a watch … a father figure … a fighter … a friend. Now, he was gone.

After a moment of silent reflection, she turned to William, "The virus is slowly stealing away her soul until eventually nothing will remain, sorta like Alzheimer's disease of the soul. Until then, she has something … some trace of being human still in her I guess." Buffy's tone softened a little as she thought of her past with Angel and Spike.

Looking a little confused, William asked, "What are you trying to say Buffy?"

"It's easier for her in the long-run if I kill her now. I'm thinking … ripping her head off still works."

"No! She should have at least a chance to try and be good while she has her soul," William responded.

"You want her to live? Well, here you go …," She handed him a knife and a dirty beer glass, "have at it." Buffy was clearly disappointed in William and he knew it. "She's your new pet, you have to feed her. Don't cut yourself too deep or you will bleed out," was all Buffy said before walking up the stairs and out of sight.

When Buffy never returned, William figured she was off exploring the rest of the building. With a little direction from Kate, a very nervous William provided her with a glass of fresh grade-A blood. She gulped it down, clearly hungry for more. He did not provide it to her and she understood.

The next hour they spent cleaning up the blood stains and smudges off each other in the cramped space of the employee's toilet facilities. William was a little more than shocked when she casually took off her blood soaked shirt and bra and started to wash it in the sink. He had to hold her steady a few times so she wouldn't fall. She was still very weak from the wounds Buffy had inflicted in the pub fight.

Other than the obvious things that caught William's attention, given her topless condition, he noticed the mangled small hole in Kate's chest, just under the bottom rib near her left breast. Buffy had shoved it in deep and at an up angle to hit the heart. It was clear no human could have survived the injury.

After asking permission, he gingerly cleaned the wound with soapy water and put a bandage over it from the first aid kit under the bar. She explained that it was not that necessary. She didn't believe she could get an infection. He did it anyway, if just for his own comfort.

After taking almost an hour getting somewhat cleaned up, William and Kate laid out a few spare blankets and towels in the corner of the pub and spent a great deal of the night, just talking. They talked about everything teenagers talk about; music, movies, boys, girls, friends, etcetera. Of course Sergeant Mike and Harmony's activities in the storeroom were proving to be so loud that even Nelson was having trouble dozing off while on guard duty.

Just a few dozen feet away, outside the sturdy walls of the boarded up pub, the infected ran about … looking, listening, waiting for anything they could attack.

.

**A/N:** To me, part of the fun of fanfiction is being able to introduce old thoughts, references, scenes from the past. Harmony ties in with her early days in Sunnydale when she put together a gang to kill the Slayer and then I even reference the storyline from Season 8 where Harmony was part of the "outing" of vampires. I hope I blended it well.


	4. Chapter 4

**CH4 **

**.**

**The next Morning**

**.**

The next morning Buffy walked down the stairs around 8am. Sergeant Mike and Private Jones were sitting at the bar, Mike without his shirt, both eating a bowl of cereal with beer in the place of milk.

With true Buffy style sarcasm she comments to the two Marines, "Yum, yum … where can I get my healthy serving of Frosted beer Flakes?"

"Don't knock it til you tried it luv," Sergeant Mike offered in response.

As she walked past a couple tables, Buffy noticed Kate and William were cuddled together in the corner, still not awake, seeing that made Buffy look away. _"Why do I even care? No big deal to me"_ She told herself.

"I could only hope you had to dust Harmony last night after your tawdry affair," Buff said to Sergeant Mike as she walked behind the bar and started looking for anything to eat BUT beer and cereal.

"Nope, she's just not a morning person, go figure," Sergeant Mike simply said.

In due course, everyone woke up, got dressed, brushed their teeth with whatever they could find, and managed to get something to eat. William ate a box of pop-tarts he found in the store room. Kate even shared a pop-tart with William even though she didn't look too excited about it. Even Harmony had breakfast, finding a stray cat in the back room.

Buffy never mentioned to anyone that she found an entire apartment upstairs last night. It was emotionally freeing and very relaxing to actually have a big fluffy bed all to herself. She even ate rather well, considering the circumstances. Last night she helped herself to several bags of chips, a bottle of soda, and those flavorless little sausages in a can. Now, finding a bag of pretzels as her only immediate food item behind the bar, did not discourage her much.

By ten in the morning everyone was assembled in the pub area, all suited up and ready to roll. Sergeant Mike was carrying what looked like some garden hose and some kind of manual beer pump. Buffy had her shotgun, ball bat, and a small tote with hair care products she had found upstairs. Even Private Jones had regained a little color since he draining experience last night.

"I'll make it Will," Kate said as she reached toward him. He could tell she was aiming for a kiss but he grabbed her in a solid bear hug instead. He could feel Buffy's eyes on him. It caught Kate a little by surprise given all they had talked about and shared in less than 12 hours.

"I wish you could come with us," William said as he looked Kate in the eyes.

Kate chuckled, "I'd be like a torch for about a minute then … poof."

William looked at her with warmth and affection … and he had to let her go. He noticed Buffy had her back to him talking with Mike and Nelson. "Thank you luv … for everything. I definitely needed someone around my own age to … you know … talk to and all." He leaned in and kissed her. With that, he released his gentle hold on her waist and walked toward Buffy.

"Harmony, I swore to myself that if I ever saw you again, I would so dust you … I guess I will save it for my birthday gift to myself when the time rolls around next year."

"Buffy … I … I'm sorry if I said … anything …," Harmony offered but Buffy cut her off.

"Harmony, don't even bother. Oh, and I am ripping down the signs so no more innocent victims end up buried out back. If you starve, oh well. Not my problem."

Harmony looked a little disappointed but faked a decent smile anyway. As the team crawled out the window and down the rope ladder, checking for infected as they went, Harmony waved goodbye to Sergeant Mike from the shade of the darkened hallway.

William scrambled to the car, as Buffy ripped down the sign on the building. Will looked up and noticed Kate waving from the window. She was standing behind Harmony. He wondered if Kate counted as his first real girlfriend, even if she was a vampire and all they had was less than a day together. As the car pulled away, he wondered how the two vampires would survive, or if they even could survive.

When Buffy got back in the car from pulling down the last "Survivors" sign, Sergeant Mike said, "We need some petrol in the next thirty minutes or we'll all be hoofing it."

They were back in the somewhat burnt part of town, some piles of rubbish and debris still burning. About ten minutes into the drive they had to navigate the car through a group of infected. William and Buffy rolled the windows down just enough to fire a few shots to keep the attackers off the car.

A few minutes later, Private Jones spoke up, "THERE! It's a petrol station!"

"I've got the stuff in the trunk. When we stop, everyone set up a perimeter around the car," Sergeant Mike directed.

Everyone did as they were supposed to do. It was taking a little longer than expected but eventually Sergeant Mike managed to get the gas flowing from out of the gas station underground storage tanks and up to the car using his hand pump and hoses.

Buffy had noticed a smell when she got out of the car. It was the smell of death, rotting bodies, raw sewage … and something else. It smelled like … rotten eggs. She was looking at a small smoldering fire across the street, the remains of a house, when she felt, more than heard the explosion that blew her several feet into the air and up against the car.

"Regaining her wind, she yelled to Sergeant Mike, who was picking himself up from the side of the petrol station, "What was that!"

He pointed to the huge fireball and smoke cloud across the street. "Natural … gas … line ruptured … my guess," as he gasped for air. He too had the wind knocked out of him. "We need to go! Now!"

Everyone got to the car quickly, however, to everyone's dismay, the explosion had collapsed a part of the station's awning onto the car, crushing the hood and flattening the tires. They stood there for an instant just wondering how more difficult this trip just became.

Then, Private Jones broke the silence with one simple word, "SHIT!"

Buffy looked in the direction Privates Jones was looking. Several dozen infected where running toward them. "Oh my … God!" Buffy grabbed Williams arm and screamed to everyone, "RUN!"

.

**ATTACKED**

Buffy fired her last two shots from the shotgun downing two of the approaching infected. Buffy and the group had ran a few blocks down twisting streets and were now in the burnt remains of what was the town's business district.

The infected had been gaining ground the whole time on Buffy and the gang. There was little any of them could do to evade the throng of attackers this time. By the time the infected caught up with them, Buffy had the shotgun over head and brought it down onto one of the infected attacker's skull laying him flat on the ground beside her. She hit two others with quick and deadly swings to the head.

One came out of nowhere and grabbed her from behind. She felt his breath on her neck. Just before he could bite down on her, she rammed the barrel of the rifle over her shoulder and into the attacker's mouth. With a bloody gurgle, it came out the other side of his head.

Again, she felt, more than heard the explosion that came a second later, knocking her several feet into the air and crashing through a nearby store window. "AAAAAH!" Buffy tensed up when the intense pain hit her as she came to a rest in an overturned clothes rack. _"Explosions should come with prior warning or something,"_ she thought.

The sudden sharp pain exploding out of her arm and throughout her body was a shard of glass that was sticking all the way through her left arm and was imbedded an inch in her side. She tried desperately to shake the pain off but her arm felt like it was on fire. The glass shard was dug in deep.

Buffy screamed again, "AAAAAH! William!" Instead of William coming through the broken window to help her it was an infected, smoldering, middle-aged woman missing one arm. What Buffy noticed most of all was the red eyes and blood stained mouth. Buffy clamored to her feet, still pulling at the glass shard stuck in her arm.

With remarkable speed, the one armed woman grabbed Buffy and was desperately trying to rip out Buffy's throat with her jagged teeth. In a panic, Buffy threw herself backwards, slamming both herself and the woman up against a wall. The assailant finally let loose when Buffy spun around and kicked the woman with all the force she could muster. Yanking the glass fragment from her own arm with little more than grunt, Buffy aimed for the woman's rage filled eye and threw the glass fragment. With long years of skill behind it, the glass found its mark, ending any further worry from the now deceased attacker.

Buffy pulled apart a few of the scattered shirts from the garment rack to wrap around her badly injured arm. She had to stop the bleeding fast or she might not make it. She formed a tourniquet as well as applying pressure and managed to slow the bleeding. Once that crisis was, at least for now, on the back burner, she looked out of the broken window to see who needed her help.

The street was littered with the remains of the infected. She could see no movement. She waited for a sound, something, but everything was eerily quiet. Distressed, Buffy stepped out onto the sidewalk, painfully holding her injured arm.

"Geez woman, come on! Get a bloody move on," Sergeant Mike yelled as he came from behind the remains of a flattened car. William was right behind him.

"Where's Jones?" Sergeant Mike stopped, realizing that his partner was not with them.

They all looked around. Finally William couldn't take it anymore, "Nelson, where in the hell are you?" William started to run out in the street to start looking for his friend when three infected came from inside a building. One tackled William but fell off of the boy a second later thanks to Sergeant Mike's skill with a rifle. The other two went down shortly thereafter with bullets to the head.

"Shall we not wait for more to come?" Sergeant Mike yelled to William. Mike led them down a nearby alley and out onto the next street over. They moved quickly down the street, ducking for cover several times to avoid being seen by more of the infected. While they maneuvered around the town, Sergeant Mike explained that Private Jones had used a grenade to stop about a dozen of the infected coming out of an apartment building. The grenade must have set off another gas explosion.

"We need to find cover for awhile and get our wits about us," Sergeant Mike announce. "The buggers are every damn where!"

Cradling her injured arm, Buffy easily agreed with his assessment. "Give me your handgun or something to use," she insisted.

With a nod, Sergeant Mike complied.

By the end of the day, they had only gone about a mile and were hiding out in an industrial complex somewhere in town. They were in a small office in a rundown warehouse. It had bars on the windows and door locked, that made Buffy feel somewhat safe given the events of the last few hours.

"We can shelter here for tonight." Sergeant Mike said as he rummaged through his backpack for a can a food for each of them. "Peaches for the Yankee peach," he said as he tossed a can to Buffy.

After eating Sergeant Mike pulled out a first aid kit and unwrapped Buffy's arm to see if there was anything he could do for it. Buffy managed to just yelp as he cleaned the wound, treated it with an ointment in the kit and applied more than a few butter-fly bandages to hold the wound closed. He then re-wrapped it to keep it protected as much as possible. She appreciated it but was very happy know he was done for the night.

Somewhere around 4am William was at her side gently shaking her awake. "Buffy, Buffy, something's out there. Get up."

Buffy opened her eyes with a start. She already had her hand on her weapon. _"Please God, when will this stop,"_ she thought.

Sergeant Mike already had his weapon aimed at the door as Buffy came to a sitting position by an office desk. "I think … two, maybe three … dozen … out there," he whispered. "I have two more grenades. I'm gonna have to risk using one to clear out the bastards."

The door to the office started to rattle as several infected shook it, trying to get in. Sergeant Mike and William both started shooting at the door, spraying it with bullets. Sergeant Mike ran up to the broken window next to the door. Through the bars on the window he could see about twenty of the infected out there. He pulled the pin on the grenade and gave it a toss, out the window. "Hit the deck," he yelled. Four seconds later the grenade went off clearing a path for them.

Just as the dust cleared she looked up and Mike was already standing, firing his weapon at whatever was still standing just outside the office. Mike looked back at Buffy and William, "Out the window and on the roof with you two. I'll hold them off!" When Buffy and William didn't move right away, he gave a far more forceful command, "I said bloody run like hell. I've got this!"

Buffy and William scrambled out on the warehouse roof and quickly jumped down to a lower roof and then to a loading dock. As they ran from the dock, more infected started coming at them. Buffy only had a few bullets in the handgun Mike had given her earlier, so she chose her targets carefully and waited until they got close so as not to waste a bullet.

William was less choosy in his use of bullets and dropped five or six of them with well placed shots to the head or heart. As they fought, she and William started to become separated. Buffy used the last of the rounds in her gun and then managed to kill two with well placed bricks to the head before she was forced over to a nearby fence. She yelled for William but couldn't wait. A small group of infected surrounded he, grabbing at her. She somehow managed to climb out of a group of four or five of them, with only her shirt slightly torn, amazed she didn't get bitten. Only after she vaulted over a fence did she notice a literal chunk taken out of her shoe, she realized how close she had come to being infected.

Standing on the other side of the flimsy fence she screamed out for Sergeant Mike or William. All she could here was gunfire … it was getting more faint … moving away from her. She tried to run along the fence in the direction of the gunfire but Infected kept coming out of every nook and cranny. In the end, she had to run the other way or she would be again surrounded within a few seconds.

Buffy ran, and ran … and ran. Three infected had been chasing her for some time. She was getting tired … starting to slow down. When she felt one of them finally grab onto her injured arm. At that second, she thought it was over for her. Nevertheless, she determined she would go out fighting!

She dropped down and forced herself to a sudden stop. The one who grabbed her went toppling over her and skidding down the street on his face. She sprung up with the elbow of her good arm bring it across the jaw of the second closest pursuer, breaking his jaw and sending him flying to one side. A quick round-house kick to the face of the third attacker, a young girl … about 8-9 years old, broke the kid's neck instantly dropping her to the ground, lifeless.

With actual fear in her eyes and a burning pain coming from her injured arm, she resumed running, this time back in the direction of the warehouse and the faint sound of gunfire. The two remaining infected had gotten back up and again were running after her, albeit, a bit slower.

.

**Hero Down**

Sergeant Mike Tellolvich knew his end was near. Maybe it was the best way to go, in a blaze of glory. "A Soldier should die in a fight, not whimpering in a corner," he thought as he ran though the warehouse, rifle blazing in his arms. Hearing the occasional screams of the infected, He wondered if they had any idea what they were doing. In any case, he would not become one of them. He wouldn't let himself become one of them! That was what his one last grenade was for.

Even with the odds stacked against him, Sergeant Mike had no intent to give up. He did not need to contemplate dying while trying to survive this nightmare. After all, what would the Queen think of a Royal Marine that just _"gave up." _ He needed to hold on to the belief that he would make it, that he would live to tell the tale to his friends in some pub one of these days.

Mike hit the ground solid and rolled to his feet. Using his now empty rifle as a crude hammer he started swinging it wildly. He hit one of the infected so hard the weapon's magazine broke off in the woman's skull. Pulling the remaining parts of the weapon clear, he downed two more of them with seemingly equal intensity.

One of the attackers grabbed his, now bent, gun barrel and tore the weapon out of Sergeant Mike's hands, taking some flesh along with it. Without missing a move the Royal Marine grabbed the infected man's tattered shirt collar and rolled backward, throwing the guy several feet over him. When Mike came to his feet he had his trusty bayonet in his hand, quickly slamming it through the previous attacker's spine. The infected guy fell limp.

With a satisfied look on his face, Mike looked up from his latest kill and it was then … the realization hit him. This was his last moment … his end. It was over him. Maybe, in his death, Buffy and William may have escaped this fate. Maybe, just maybe, his death would make a difference.

Sometimes when people die their last thoughts are of all the places they had been, all the people they had known, all the things they had done … the last thought through Mike's mind was of the proudest day of his life … signing up with the Royal Marines. His last thought was of graduating boot camp. Sergeant Mike Tellolvich remained focused as eight sets of blood red eyes tackled him to the ground. Hearing his own scream and feeling the searing pain and building rage as the infected tore at his flesh … he pulled the pin on the grenade and opened his hand, letting it fall to his side.

Buffy heard the muffled explosion as she ran toward the sound. Her heart ached, she knew exactly what happened. She had lost so many good and amazing people in her life … Xander … Willow … Angel … her mom … all gone. Sergeant Mike was just one more hero in a growing list. _"God, when will this all stop,"_ she thought as her eyes began to water.

By the time she got to the warehouse again, the gunfire had long since stopped. The two infected that had followed her most of the way back finally gave up on her when an unlucky straw dog wondered by. She didn't have time to search. She knew more would be coming to the sound of the fighting. She started to run again. She was so tired but she couldn't stop. She needed to find a place to hide … and to think about what to do now that she was … all alone.

.

**A/N: **If you like the story please, please, please … I beg … plead; crave that you R&R. It makes me feel like the story means something to someone if I get a comment back. Thanks! I completed this review / update as I sat here in Al Asad Iraq for the last night. I wonder how alone I would feel if all the sudden all my fellow Soldiers were gone.


	5. Chapter 5

**CH 5 **

**Alone in Maidstone, England**

Buffy thought it took her about three hours to make it back to the pub where Harmony and Kate were last seen waving goodbye to them. She wasn't sure what time it was without a watch, cell phone, or anything to tell time. It had been a considerably challenging trip, considering what she knew was out there creeping around in the dark. She had several close encounters around the Fremlin Walk area and several more times she had spotted groups of infected, but had been able to hide in time.

Buffy was physically, mentally and emotionally drained when she arrived back at the pub. The sun was just coming up. The window was open and the rope ladder was down. Suddenly she got her hopes up, _"Maybe William had made it back!"_

Buffy walked around the building to see if anything was lurking. She had acquired a piece of a metal fence post to use as a weapon. It was about 3 feet long with a nice jagged edge on the business end of it. Her inspection of the building found some of the boards torn off a back window but not enough for a full size person to fit through, still it made her uneasy.

Finally, Buffy climbed up the ladder; pulling it up behind her once she got in the window. She crawled in as quietly as she could, not seeing anyone or anything in the darkness. She thought they may be hiding … she hoped. She checked all over during the next thirty minutes make sure she did not miss any sign of William or Harmony or even Kate. She carefully walked up the stairs to the apartment. She thought she could hear voices, something that made her smile. She was tired of being alone. When she got there, she found nothing but wind coming through a broken window.

She slowly made her way toward the pub. No candles were burning and it was nearly impossible to see. Every noise made her jump. For an instant, a wave of fear hit her hard. _"What if I am totally and completely … alone?" _Before long she heard noises outside, the infected had tracked her to the pub! Or … were the noises coming from inside? Buffy was terrified! She had faced her share of monsters but this was so … different.

She crawled under the bar and huddled there … shaking. To scared to make a noise. The noises she heard were far more than just the regular old moaning … which, she reminded herself, was not regular at all. She'd definitely heard several screams. She wondered if Harmony and Kate were somewhere … close … fighting a losing battle. They might need her help! Yet, without even a decent weapon, it would be worse than suicide. Slayer or not, Buffy felt alone and scared._ "It's me that needs help,"_ she thought.

She found the few stray blankets from where Kate and William had bedded down and gathered them all to one little corner under the bar. As the sun rose outside, she just sat there in a daze, too tired to think and too afraid to go to sleep. Finally she drifted off.

The pub seemed even darker when Buffy woke up. Maybe it was just her that felt dark. She peaked out from under the bar. All seemed quiet. She was hungry so she silently started looking around for something to eat. The pub had food and water but it was missing … people. She had nobody to talk to or anything. She felt so alone. She found herself wishing Harmony was around. A Slayer was use to being on her own and being a bit of a loner but this was so very different. This was alone, alone.

For the first time since all this happened she seriously thought of just giving up and walking out into the street to be devoured like a hotdog at a cookout. She thought about it for more than several minutes. She just couldn't bring herself to be ripped apart or at least changed into a monster that rips others apart. After a few minutes of looking blankly at the nearby wall, she concluded that just surviving was the only thing left to do.

Buffy finished off some pretzels and stale popcorn then ate a handful of peanuts, washing it all down with warm beer. When she finished eating, she wrote a note on a napkin and left it on the bar. Twenty-eight minutes later she crawled out the window and was running as fast as she could go down an empty street. Running was the only way to stay alive. Even if those things were not on her tail, they were lurking around every corner. _"I guess I'll be running until they finally wrap their hands around me and sink their teeth in me,"_ she supposed.

Passing multiple wrecked cars, burnt buildings, scattered debris, and human remains, Buffy ran through the city streets. After running for what seemed like an hour, she was clear of the town and well on her way to somewhere. It looked like late afternoon and the sun was trying to break through the cloudy sky. Mental pictures flooded her mind as she went from a run to a trot and finally to a walk. She found herself at a desolate road intersection somewhere in the English countryside. The sign said Sutton and New Rd. A few buildings were around but she dared not explore them just in case infected were there.

She walked a distance past the buildings to a wrecked semi truck. Slowly, Buffy walked over to it and sat down in the driver's seat after checking it from top to bottom. She was tired and honestly did not really knowing what else to do. She pulled the truck door closed and locked it.

Having dropped her fence post weapon a good distance back in favor of maximum speed, she looked around the cab for a weapon. She found a hammer, along with a bag of peppermints. She settled back in the seat and started thinking about better times. Laughing with her friends back in Sunnydale … tossing a football with Riley at the beach … even having passionate sex with Spike … those were the good ole days.

Two hours later Buffy startled herself awake. She heard something. She had drifted off to sleep in broad daylight. And … now … oddly, the truck door was hanging wide open. _"Wow! How stupid can I get? _Damn lucky me!_" _The last part of her thought said aloud as she looked for her hammer. It was gone! So were the peppermints. She wretched the gear shift from the floor with some considerable effort and got out of the truck.

Seeing nothing, she started walking away … slowly, from the truck. She knew she was being watched. She could feel it. After several steps she heard a nearby bush rustle. With nothing more than a gear shift in her hand and her arm still throbbing with pain from the previous day's injuries … she decided to take off running right down the center of the road … out toward open country.

Buffy was exhausted. That was the easiest way to say it. Little sleep, attacks, losing her friends, being … all alone … it was all weighing heavily on her. After about twenty minutes she had to stop running. Her arm was burning and her legs felt like cement weights were on them. Walking slowly and aimlessly down the road she started to cry.

The sun would be down in about an hour and she was out there … all alone … everyone she loved dead. Her crying was interrupted by the sound of something coming … in the distance. She stopped and turned to see what it could be. She couldn't handle another attack right now. That would be it for her if she had to fight off any more of those things.

It looked like a beat up police car approaching … rather slowly and not too gracefully. She could see one figure in the vehicle. Her worries eased. "Unless murderous zombie people have driver's ed …," she trailed off as she recognized the driver. William was behind the wheel. More than a little smile graced her face when she recognized him.

"WILLIAM!" Buffy didn't even try to contain her excitement at seeing him.

He pulled up close to where she was standing in the road and jerked the car to a halt. After a few seconds of struggling with the door lock, he flung open the door and stepped out. "Buffy! You're bloody lucky I came this way out of town. Never thought I'd …"

She nearly knocked him to the ground as she grab hold of him with raw enthusiasm. "Will! I thought you were dead. I tri, tried to look for you. I went back to the warehouse and the pub and … I'm so glad to see you." She hugged him tight and resumed her crying in between breaths.

"Well, I suggest we not stand here. Hop in the ole banger here and let's go before we get visitors," William offered after regaining his breath from her rather tight hug.

They drove for a few minutes in silence as Buffy got a good cry out but soon they were discussing what had happened to the each of them during their time apart. He talked of how he spent the day hiding in a burnt out house and then found the police car. She mentioned how she ran and ran and ran. She also told William about the empty pub and associated screams and noises. William gave her a worried look.

When Buffy explained the weirdness at the wrecked semi truck, William answered her concern, "Oh … that was Jason and his brothers." Jason was an eleven year old looking after his injured mother and two young brothers. They had noticed Buffy in the truck and crawled in through the back window to see if she had any food on her. He concluded with, The little spongers tried to get me to give them a few things when I stopped to see if they needed a ride."

They drove for awhile until seeing what looked like several infected about a kilometer ahead of them. William and Buffy thought it wise to go another direction. After a little backtracking, they turned on a narrow side road and spent the night in the car along a desolate forested road.

The next morning, Buffy woke to William returning to the car. "What wrong? Anything out …," she stopped when William waved a hand at her.

"No worries, Buffy, I just had to pee is all." William got the car started and they started down the country road.

"Thank you Will … for everything." Buffy reached over and touched his arm.

William seemed a little quiet as they drove. The day felt colder than usual and was cloudy. Finally William spoke. "I have no bloody idea where we are."

Buffy could tell something else was troubling him. "William, you're not talkie guy this morning. What's up with that?"

William hesitated for an instant but finally confessed, "Today is … my birthday."

Buffy's eyes lit up, "William, happy birthday! I wish I could give you something but we haven't come across a good weapons store that accepts American Express."

"It's okay Buffy. Last month my biggest worry was how I'd spend my birthday. Then the infection broke out. I'd never have thought that a month later … all my family and friends would be dead … or worse … monsters." This time it was William who started to shed tears.

That morning they drove the one-lane back country roads of England, seeming to get nowhere. Around what seemed like noon, Buffy spotted a barn in the distance almost totally blocked from view by trees and bushes. "Will, pull over there if you would. I need to potty."

When William pulled the car up next to the barn he immediately noticed a set of stairs leading up one side of the barn, hidden from the view of the road. "Looks like the place may have a flat."

"Yeah, and an apartment too," Buffy said.

William smiled at her and proceeded to scout the area out as she found a nearby bush and did her business. The barn was full of farming equipment, tools, some miscellaneous boxes, but nothing of worry. As Buffy walked back up to the car William declared, "Place looks empty."

Buffy spontaneously shivered then rubbed her neck. It hurt from sleeping in the car all night. "Will, let's check out the place. We might find food or some more weapons."

William agreed and they proceeded to carefully scout the area. The small two room upstairs apartment was in perfect order. The main room had a couch, chair, kitchenette, small fireplace and a regular size bed in the corner. A modest bathroom with a big antique bathtub completed the design.

"Nobody has been here in awhile … least since the infection broke out," William said. He further explained that sometimes people kept weekend retreats out in the country. "The owner must have died in the city."

William then noticed Buffy's arm. "You're bleeding again. We need to clean you up and fix that bandage." Will, sat his rifle down and started looking around for first aid supplies.

"Will, let's stay here tonight. I am tired and just need to rest. It looks sorta safe and we need to plan what to do next." Buffy needed to only look at William and he acquiesced easily.

After checking the entire barn and grounds around the barn again, they both concluded that, for now, it was monster free. William got a fire going in the fireplace while Buffy scrounged up some food. With a few pots and pans and well water they had a late lunch of canned beans, corn, and potatoes. Along with a few crackers and pickles, the meal was the best since they left Harefield Place Golf Club.

After finding an actual first aid kit for Buffy, William went to work heating up several pans of hot water and getting the bathtub ready for Buffy to relax and clean up. The little place had everything, toothbrushes, floss, razors, soap, and shampoo … the works.

They didn't say much for a few hours, they just went about their tasks, comforted in knowing they were not all alone as before. William came in several times to gently add more warm water while Buffy lay in the tub. She didn't even attempt to cover herself. She just wanted to lay there and soak. The water felt so good on her sore arm.

She decided to make it _"a spa day"_ for herself. After the hour long bath and slow, deliberate, thorough soapy cleaning she also shampooed her hair, shaved her neglected parts, brushed and flossed. When she stepped out of the bathroom with just a towel around her body and one around her head, the room felt warm and inviting. The door was locked and bolted and a chair propped up against it. She had an axe and William's rifle nearby … she felt safe.

William had her clothes and most of his in the small kitchenette sink trying to wash them. He still had on his pants and socks. Buffy offered to help but he smiled and waved her off so she sat down on the couch and started to make use of the nail polish she found in the bathroom. She thought the blood red color of the polish seemed so appropriate.

William refilled the tub and warmed some water for his bath. Somewhere between finishing her nails and watching William brush his teeth, she leaned back on the couch, closed her eyes and relaxed. The last 28 days had been one hell of a time. Her mind wondered, as it often did of late, to better times, laughs and hugs with friends and loved ones. How could they all be … gone? It just didn't seem possible.

She opened her eyes and looked at the ceiling. _"What's that spot?"_ She thought to herself. She squinted and looked harder, _"A hole … in the ceiling?"_ Then it appeared … a blood red eye staring back at her! She screamed and jumped up off the couch.

William was in the tub when he heard her scream and without a second's delay, he was up and out there by her side. He had learned to be prepared and already had a large kitchen knife in his hand. "What! What's wrong? What did you see?" He asked her after several attempts to calm her down.

"Up there," she pointed. "I saw an eye in that hole up there!"

William looked and looked again carefully. "Buffy! Buff … calm down! There's no hole ... no eye."

"There is! I saw it!" Buffy looked hard at the ceiling and couldn't see any hole or even a minor flaw in the perfectly white painted ceiling. "Where did it … go?" She said as she started to look all around.

"Don't be a plonker. You just … must have been dreaming is all," William offered with a smile.

Just as she accepted his answer, both of them displayed the shocked, open mouth look to each other. They simultaneously realized that her towels were scattered around the room and he was dripping water all over the floor … both completely naked!

Although William had seen her that way a couple times before, this seemed a little different and a wave of embarrassment flushed over her as it did with William. Buffy instinctively covered her breasts with her arms and crossed her legs as she stood by the couch.

William hurriedly gathered her two towels, giving her one, which she promptly wrapped around herself, and keeping the other one she used for her hair, to wrap around himself. Buffy's couldn't help but look. It was a natural reaction. Although William blush a bright red when he saw her eyes glace down at his naughty bits. She too felt a bit shy when William's eye's followed her every move.

"Well … I … uh … better get back to my … bath," William stammered as he backed away from Buffy.

"Yeah, I need … to … give my nails a second coat," she said blushing.

The night was quiet. They heard no sounds outside. The small fire kept everything comfortable. They had a dinner meal of lunch leftovers and talked about life before the last few days. According to the battery operated clock on the wall it was about 9pm when she tucked herself into the bed at William's insistence. He decided to take the couch to better guard the door. They were both worn out.

They had both found a flannel shirt each to wear. William proclaimed the owners of the place had to be "old lags" to keep such outdated stuff. They were rather large too since both she and William looked like five year olds trying on adult clothes. They eventually settled for just the flannel shirts to wear while their clothes dried by the fireplace overnight.

Somewhere in the night William opened his eyes as he rolled over. Buffy was sitting cross-legged by the fireplace with her back to him. She was cautiously poking at the burning embers in the fireplace. Her flannel shirt was open, capturing the heat and exposing her chest to the warmth of the flame.

William was a little groggy when he asked if all was okay. She reassured him that she was just a little cold over there on the bed and wanted to warm up and add another log to the fire. He laid his head back down on the pillow and just watched her from the couch. She was so beautiful. Her hair, her body, her moves, her voice … all of her attributes continued to draw him in. He shook his head several times in an attempt to get her out of his mind.

When she got up from the fire, it surprised him that she didn't close her shirt. Shadows caused by the fireplace danced across her breasts. He thought he was having a dream when she walked up to the couch and kneeled down to look him in the eyes.

"I … I don't want to sleep alone tonight. I, I, don't mean anything naughty by it. But … could I … could you just … hold me tonight?"

Buffy took his nervous short nod to mean "yes" so she gracefully wrapped her shirt closed around her body and maneuvered under the blankets, snuggling her back up to his chest. He thought she was almost purring like a cat in short order. He placed his sweaty hand around her. He thought he could feel her heartbeat even through the material of the shirt she had wrapped around her.

He was so nervous he dared not move for fear of disturbing her. Also, he could feel himself … starting to … push up against her. He tried to prevent it but it was in full force. He knew she could feel it and he was so worried that any minute she would turn around and slap him silly but she never did.

He felt so close to her. He had seen her fight, slay, laugh and cry. She was so amazing, so determined and powerful and yet also so vulnerable and weak. Now, here she slept like a kitten in his arms. He smiled as he again drifted off to sleep.

Somewhere in the night, William woke up to her gently stirring, and to the sound of her voice whispering softly in his ear, "Happy birthday."

.

**The Morning After**

The next morning Buffy and William woke up late in the morning, snuggled close together under the blankets. They soon recovered their toasty dry clothes from the fireplace and decided on a hardy breakfast. After eating, they brushed and washed and flossed and sprayed and powered until both were ready for whatever awaited them back on the road to Dover. The car was then loaded down with food items, blankets, bandages, and assorted supplies. Weapons were checked, and so forth.

The conversation between them seemed a little awkward this morning. They talked about what the plan for the day would be and what they could use for weapons and such. Any thoughts or feelings about what may have happened between them last night were not mentioned. Although both clearly seemed to want to open up that topic for discussion, they never did.

With fresh bandages on her arm and a car load of … stuff; they hit the road for Dover. The ride was mostly quiet, with a little small-talk now and then to stir things up. After a couple more hours of narrow country roads, they came out on a highway, the M20, near the town of Ashford. In a few minutes they had figured out exactly where they were and which way they should go.

"This time, I say we steer clear of towns," Buffy pointed out. "Towns … bad. Country … good."

"Agreed luv! No more of that poncy running for my life drama," William mused although the full meaning of it all was lost on Buffy.

Infected roamed the highway as the car passed the Ashford hospital off the M20. William was able to dodge them while Buffy, using William's rifle, fired a few shots out the window. She missed each time. One of the infected hit the hood of the car, providing a rather tense moment, but that passed quickly as the hapless attacker rolled off the hood and under the wheels of the car.

Even with the detours around towns and built up areas where the infected could roam, they found themselves on the outskirts of Dover by late afternoon. William finally pulled over at a house off Elms Vale Road as the sun was setting. It was a beautiful large white house sitting right off the roadway with nothing but farm fields for a mile or so around it.

Buffy and William walked around the house. It had bars on the windows and seemed to have a number of the lower windows boarded up from within. Just when the two of them had rejoined at the car, a gun barrel appeared through the closest doorway on the house.

"Leave us be!" The voice from within said. It was undoubtedly aged. "We want no trouble!"

William spoke up. "Sir, no trouble here, we just need a place to layout for the night."

The voice hesitated, and then said, "Not here, move along!"

Buffy spoke up. "Mister, we have come all the way from north of London … and … lost several friends already. It's just the two of us. We're on a mission for the … the … Royal Marines. We just need a safe place to sleep tonight. We'll be gone in the morning." She waited a second and added, "Please."

William piped in again, "Yeah, God save the Queen and all."

Buffy knew all would be okay when she heard a little old ladies voice in the background, "Come on you old goat, let 'em in." Finally the door opened and a little wrinkled hand motioned then inside.

The old couple, actually, seemed very nice. It delighted Buffy to meet people who seemed less devastated by the rage virus. They had been locked away in the house since it broke out. Luckily they had not had much happen out there. The old man, a former Soldier in WWII, said a few of the infected wondered by but eventually departed "without much hubbub."

The elderly couple fed Buffy and William a home cooked meal. They also let them wash up and share in a glass of rather smooth brandy. For both William and Buffy life almost seemed … normal again for those few hours. At bedtime, the little old lady showed Buffy and William to the guest rooms.

"Sorry for the mess," she said. In actuality the rooms were immaculate. "We use to have a maid until recent. I think somebody ate her."

"Bloody bad luck, that one," William commented back while Buffy silently giggled at the way the little old lady said it.

That night Buffy slept on a beautiful canopy bed with a feather soft mattress. William was in the next room over stretched out on just as soft of a bed. They had not been to bed more than an hour when William opened Buffy's door and came over to the bed.

"You up," He asked.

"Well, I am now," she said with a smile. "I hadn't drifted off yet."

"Oh, okay." He sat down beside her on the bed.

She touched his hand and then slowly pulled away. "What's on your mind Will?" Her voice gushed with the sound of sincerity.

"Buffy, I … I think … last night I mean, just touching …," William was clearly struggling for a way to express his thoughts.

Buffy's eye widened. She did not want to deal with this, not now. She felt guilty and remorseful … for feeling guilty and remorseful. "William … don't."

Puzzled, William ask, "What do ya mean? I just want to say how I feel. I think I love you."

"Oh my God Will! No way! I mean, you can't, you, you, you don't. It's not right!"

"Bollocks to that! I do! I should bloody know. We're talking about my feelings here!" William stood and looked at her with a cross between anger and hurt.

"Will, it was … I mean … we shouldn't have …," Buffy looked for a way to say a book full of words in a few short sentences but couldn't find any words that fit.

"I mean, I'm thinking we … us …," a tear came to his eye.

After a minute of silence between them, Buffy spoke up. "All my life … I have wanted to be normal … and loved. I understand what you are feeling." Her words were slow and deliberate. "I have had a history of using people as an emotional crutch just so I wouldn't be … alone. I have let myself … be too free with … you."

She put great effort into not hurting him as she explained herself further. "I care for you … but I shouldn't … not like this. I feel so … wrong." Her voice cracked and tears began to fall. "I feel like I used you to make me feel better."

"Like you did with that Spike guy your sister Dawn told me about?" William was feeling a little twinge of jealousy as he said Spike's name.

"Yeah … like Spike," Buffy reflected for a moment on the depth of that comparison.

"Buffy, I'm all alone in this world too. My dad died in the war in Afghanistan and my mum and brother were killed by infected." William began to sob. "Don't ya see? I feel alone too! Being around you …," He trailed off.

"William, we can't …," Buffy said trying to dry her tears with the sleeve of her loaned nightgown. Her mistake was reaching up to wipe away a tear from his face.

One touch led to another. He reached back and softly touched her face, then her arm, and … elsewhere. They both knew that this was the end of their forbidden love. It could not go on. It was wrong on so many levels she told herself … yet … just like William, she needed … something to make the emptiness go away if it was even for just a night.

To Buffy's pleasant surprise, as William filled Buffy with his passion, she found herself brought to the peak of her desire several times. This was as intense if not more so than anything she had experienced in several years. The last time she remembered tasting this forbidden fruit was … years ago … in Sunnydale … with another William she once knew.

After what seemed like a full hour or more of intense passion, they were both spent, collapsing into each other's arms. For several minutes they just held each other. After a few minutes, Buffy whispered, "William, we can't do this anymore."

With a look of heavy loss in his eyes he softly replied, "I know." Gently William got out of bed, turned and walked quietly out of the room and to his bedroom for the night. He laid there for an hour before his eyes closed, his thoughts drifting to her as he went to sleep.

.

**A/N:** I upgraded this chapter a little and added a second playful scene in here where it did not happen in the earlier version. I decided that it better supported a plot twist in a later chapter but also I decided to make a statement about the basics of love and relationships. The point here is that feelings, love, emotions come in many shapes and sizes. Sometimes you have to wonder if society is so righteous that they can always decide what is morally right or wrong.

My wife and I are over 20 years apart in age and people would say before we got married how wrong it is and how we will never last and how we have nothing in common. We have been together over 5 years now and are working out fine. Just food for thought.


	6. Chapter 6

**CH: 6 **

**A Trip to Dover**

Both Buffy and William slept in a little that morning. Neither woke up before 9am. They were both a little emotionally drained from the before bed conversation and activities. Miss Ivy fed them a breakfast of lunchmeats, fruit and bread along with some rather strong coffee. Buffy was not a fan of the super strong and bitter blend but she figured it was equal to at least a couple of energy drinks in her system.

Buffy's thoughts turned to Dawn this particular morning. It seemed like an eternity ago when they were back at the country club, safe, sound, and planning this adventure to Dover. Buffy wondered how Dawn was doing. She normally worried about her sister constantly. Buffy felt a little guilty for not worrying more of late but life had been dealing her so many surprises. She did not have much time to worry about anything or anyone else.

With a little questionable map help from the elderly couple (Charles and Ivy), Buffy and William set out for the super secret government facility. The car was repacked several times to ensure maximum access to weapons. Finally, Ivy waved goodbye as William and Buffy pulled away in the car.

By late morning they were on their way to the address given to them by Major Abel back at the Harefield Place Golf Club. "At least even super secret government facilities still have addresses," Buffy offered as she and William got in the car. "I just hope all this was worth it." Buffy was thinking about the last few days of running and hiding and people dying.

The map Major Abel had drawn for Buffy showed the facility in an office complex on the other side of Dover. He said it connected to a big underground facility. In any case, Buffy and William had to get through or around the town to get to the place. That would be the challenge. As they drove, William recalled to Buffy that they both agreed to avoid towns. Too bad this was one of those occasions when life couldn't be that easy. They couldn't avoid Dover since it was the destination.

Only a few minutes into driving Buffy and William entered a housing area. William proclaimed it the "Dover metropolitan area." A few infected could be spotted rummaging around inside houses or in yards. So far, the poor souls couldn't get to the car in time once they saw it pass by. Additionally, William had mastered the driving thing and easily navigated away from big groups of infected.

When they merged onto another road, Buffy and William saw about a dozen of the infected citizens of Dover climbing all over a beat up cargo van. The red eyed group had already smashed through the windshield but the occupants must have locked themselves in the back somehow in an attempt to survive. The van didn't have side or back windows, so the attackers were just beating on the sides of the van. From the dents and damage to the van, it was apparent to Buffy that the insane mob would get to whoever was inside the van in short order.

"Stop the car! Whoever's in that van needs our help."

"Buffy, we'll get killed. There's too many of the buggers."

The hero that has always been deep down inside Buffy Summers couldn't let someone just die when she could help them. "No! Do it! Pull over now!"

"I thought we were going to find the bloody government place. This will wreck your plans!" William offered as valid reasoning.

"The plan just changed to a rescue mission, now STOP!" Buffy's voice carried the determination of a leader. Her mind was made up and there was no changing it now.

William screeched the car to a halt about thirty feet from the van. Buffy opened her car door and stepped out shooting with William's rifle. William flung his door open as well. He quickly stepped back to the car's trunk, looking for another gun. He knew he had seen one back there just yesterday.

"Here, you take this. I am not any good with guns." She tossed the rifle to him over top of the car.

Hastily she retrieved an axe from the backseat and began running toward the assemblage of infected. One large guy started at her, running at full force. She dropped down and rolled to her left to dodge his tackling leap. He hit the ground and started to get up. She spun around and buried the axe in his lower back ending any further concerns from him.

A small thin old woman came running at her from the same direction of the first attacker. Buffy swung the blunt end of the axe at the woman's head, ending her progress. Two more people came at Buffy, both looking to be in their 70s. Buffy mercifully ended their painful existence with her axe, as well.

William slowly advanced on the scene as he fired the rifle. It took four shots to drop one of his targets. _"Must be a damn grumpy one you are,"_ he thought to himself. He nailed one with a headshot right behind Buffy. It made him feel good … protecting her. She never even saw it coming until the burly red eyed guy dropped at her feet.

Buffy vaulted over two more enraged murderous members of the infected populace. While in mid-summersault her axe sliced through the head of one of the insane duo, dropping the poor soul, twitching, to the ground. She hit the ground, spun around and decapitated the other.

Blood splattered on her face and shirt. "God! No!" Buffy screamed, dropping her axe and pulling her shirt off. She could feel the warm blood on her neck, cheek and lips. Buffy's thoughts raced to the worst case scenario, _"Please … no … no …no! God, please … I can't become one of those things!"_

William dropped two of the infected that were running toward Buffy with single gun shots to the head. He was actually getting pretty good with a weapon. Seeing the blood splattered all over Buffy and her frantic actions with her shirt, he screamed her name and ran to her side in an instant.

Buffy quickly pulled her shirt off. She turned it inside out and started frantically wiping her face. "Is it all off? Is it?" Her voice was full of fear.

"It's off Buffy! Geeez ! Don't wet your kickers," William said in an attempt to reassure her but also a little upset that she just scared the hell out of him. He couldn't lose her after all this. She was … all he had in the world now. If she became one of … those things, he couldn't kill her. He just couldn't.

Buffy was still franticly wiping at her face and neck when William once again became aware of his teen male hormones. She was a sight, standing there in her bra and jeans. "Uh, flashin the buggers won't stop'em luv." William noticed that she ignored his comment.

Just then she heard William fire two more shots right over her head. Buffy realized that they were still in a combat zone of infected. They had managed to drop most of them but four more just appeared. William put a couple shots in each as Buffy grabbed her temporarily discarded axe and nailed another of the infected that was coming around the corner of the van. This time she was extra careful of the splatter zone.

Three more shots rang out in rapid succession immediately over Buffy's head. An infected person fell from the trucks roof top. "I'm out! I, I have more clips back in the car!" Noticing no other blood thirsty fiends in the immediate area, William ran back to the car for more ammunition.

Buffy ran to the van's rear door and started to open it. She could hear movement in there so she called out, "I'll have you out in a second." Buffy flung the door open. She could see four figures standing in the van amongst the cargo of boxes. Come on let …," Buffy hesitated as she looked in the darkened van seeing something very familiar. "How the hell did …"

"Buffy, Help!" William's voice rang out in muffled panic. He was still loading his rifle just as huge ravenous infected girl grabbed him.

Buffy started running toward William. Buffy could see him struggle in the large woman's grasp. Her bulk limited her dexterity and that alone had saved William from being bitten thus far. Grabbing at his chest, the woman ripped his shirt off with little effort and threw it to the ground. She seemed far more engrossed in ripping him to shreds instead of his clothes.

Buffy got to them just as the woman was about to bite down on William's arm. "Hey there!" Buffy said, pounding the woman on the shoulder. "I think I saw a big cream filled donut over by the truck," she sarcastically quipped. Buffy wasn't too surprised when the woman looked at Buffy with glaring red eyes and lunged at her, dropping William to the ground.

"_That's it Buff, make an enraged person more mad,"_ William thought to himself as he got back to his feet and quickly started changing out the magazine in his rifle.

Buffy grabbed the woman's pony-tail and threw her to one side. The woman hit the ground and appeared to bounce back to her feet instantly. Buffy started toward the woman just as another girl jumped on Buffy's back. Buffy threw her to the ground and with a well placed kick or two, had the new attacker down for perhaps a few seconds. The large woman started running toward Buffy. Buffy backed up a bit, bracing herself.

With surprising force and her good 300 pounds of weight, she knocked Buffy about 10 feet back. Then the infected woman absorbed two of Buffy's punches and a solid kick to the cranium. Instead of falling down, the hefty woman pushed Buffy with all her strength.

Buffy went flying back another 10 feet. In an instant the big woman was all over Buffy. It was all Buffy could do to avoid the virus infected gut wrenching vomit she tried to spew in Buffy's face.

With blood dripping from the woman's mouth and down her shirt, Buffy did not want to touch her if she could help it. "You can shoot her any time now Will? Will … William? Now is a good time to shoot!" Buffy continued to dodge the woman's disgusting blood covered hands.

William accidentally hung the magazine in the weapon causing a bullet to get jammed in the chamber. He was desperately trying to clear the weapon the way Nelson had shown him. "Any sec now … just hang on Buffy! I'll have it straight away."

On her fifth or sixth attempt, he woman snatched Buffy by the hair and threw her back again. This time Buffy hit the side of the van. Instantly, the woman was right there, on Buffy again. The portly attacker started slamming Buffy into the vehicle's metal side.

Pain burst through her head with each hit. She tried to push the big woman away but the rage filled woman was excessively strong. It seemed odd to Buffy that a mere out of shape and very plump human could even momentarily immobilize the Slayer with such force. "_The common run of the mill vampires couldn't even do THIS that often. I guess a lot can be said for the power of anger," _Buffy thought as she struggled to get enough leverage to break free.

"Buffy … Duck!" William screamed. He had finally got the rifle fixed and now Buffy was in the line of sight. He couldn't shoot the woman attacking her, for fear of hitting his ... Buffy. William hurriedly decided to go for the hand-to-hand option, hitting the woman with the butt of the rifle across the side of her face. The big girl stumbled to one side. William began to pound on the huge woman anywhere he could land a blow with the butt of his rifle. It distracted the girl from Buffy but now she was turning her attention to William.

Just when Buffy was clear, William tried to back up to get enough room to use the rifle. The woman grabbed William's throat and slammed him to the ground with one hand. She threw her mass on him just as he hit the ground. A second later, Buffy had her foot buried deep into the side of the woman, lifting her several feet in the air and clearly breaking more than a few ribs in the process. The woman hit the ground and bit by bit crawled back to her feet. She was moving her massive body much slower. Buffy took hold of William's rifle laying on the ground, brought it to her shoulder and fired three shots in rapid succession at the woman. Two shots hit the big woman's chest, ending the fight.

With no more infected immediately visible, Buffy ran to the back of the van, "MOVE people, we have to go NOW!"

A familiar voice came from the van, "Uh, hello, need blankets here. I don't want to burst into flames you know." Harmony stepped forward, still remaining out of the dirt sunlight.

Buffy looked at the lot of them, three vampires and some demon looking guy. "If I had known … I so wouldn't have …," Buffy stormed back to the car and grabbed three blankets. "William, pull the car up to the van … close so harmony doesn't get her hair messed up or something" Buffy instructed.

The short demon guy was already out of the van ready to receive the blankets as Buffy threw them to him. He looked familiar to Buffy. She had seen his kind before. It was hard remembering so many different species. She just couldn't place him. She thought of Giles. He would know.

"Hurry!" Buffy said, walking to the open trunk of the car to retrieve her big flannel shirt that she used the night before when she and William … _"It has his sent,"_ she thought. Another gunshot startled Buffy. William had fired it at an approaching infected guy in uniform.

"I think I killed the posty," William said as he got in the car.

Ignoring the four people rapidly piling in the back of the car, she asked, "A what?"

"Mailman," the demon added as he was the last to clamor in the back seat of the very crowded car.

They piled in with the male vampire, a biker looking guy on the bottom smoking from all the exposed area the blanket and his cloths didn't fully cover. Then came Harmony wrapped tightly. The next vampire in the car was Kate with a large blanket wrapped well around her. The demon rounded out the compacted crew as he jumped in the crowded backseat of the car.

By now, more infected were running down the street toward them. William immediately got the car moving in reverse to put distance between the approaching crowd and the car. He found a spot to turn around before the next round of infected reached the car.

"Ouch, someone's foots in my face."

When Kate spoke William's head turned around almost causing them to crash into a street sign.

"Will!" Buffy called out. "Watch the road … please."

"Oh … yes, okay. Uh, where to?" William had the car moving at a good speed down the road but, more infected where running around the streets now. "The sound of gunfire and blood must have started a small ruckus," he said.

"Head back to the old couple's house. We can figure it out from there. I need to clean up again too." Looking at William Buffy just smiled and said, "Just yesterday, didn't we say, 'no more towns'?"

"Hell yes we did. I could use a ciggy after this and I don't even smoke." William let out a noticeable sigh of relief at surviving the fight. Looking back at Buffy William teased, "That big lady about done you in. I thought you had it when she tried to chudder all over you."

"I was just getting her softened …," Buffy started before a loud noise disrupted the conversation.

"Ouch, ouch ouch! Ooooowwwwww!" Harmony started to scream before the smell of something burning hit Buffy's nose. Her arm had slipped out from under the blanket and caught fire.

Buffy grabbed a small towel from under the car seat, "Here, stop bursting into flames and whining. You'd think since we saved you, we could enjoy a peaceful ride across the English countryside. Anyway, what's a little fire among friends?"

After a long pause, Harmony said, "Yeah, thanks for the rescue. I was working on a plan anyway."

"Yes, thank you very much," the demon chimed in.

Finally, the soft spoken voice of Kate added, "Yes, thank you Buffy … and William, for saving us."

Buffy spoke up, "Harmony, how the hell did you get here? And, and … other than the girl" Buffy did not want to use Kate's name for some reason, "who are these other two … creature-people?

"I'm Ralph," a deep voice said, "red blooded American biker, vampire, Harmony's new man. There's not much else to say."

Buffy mockingly clapped her hands. "Yippie, a biker vamp without a bike. Next?"

"Hey, we had bikes until we got to Dover."Ralph replied with indignation in his raspy voice.

"NEXT," she said with force.

"My names Tyler, glad to meet you miss." The happy little demon said, extending a hand to Buffy over the car seat.

He looked very familiar to Buffy. _"Two short little horns, snow white facial hairiness, floppy pointed ears, about 5'6' or so …,"_ she thought. "Hey, did you ever live in Sunnydale?"

Retracting his hand he said, "No, I didn't. My brother Skyler did. He was killed there, back over ten years or so ago. One of his many schemes … gone bad. Did you know my brother?" Tyler asked.

"Not exactly, I think he …," Buffy thought for a second. She had encountered so many demons over the years. it was hard to sometimes place a face. An instant later, it came to her. "He was trying to sell me the Books of Ascension to stop Mayor Wilkins. Faith and I found your brother dead."

"You're the …,"Tyler's eyes widened.

"Yep, she's the big bad Slayer already." Harmony piped in from under her blanket, not waiting for the demon to complete the sentence.

Buffy glared over the back seat at the covered heap of Harmony. "Yes I am the big bad VAMPIRE Slayer," Buffy said slowly to drive home the point to Harmony.

Harmony instantly reconsidered her sarcasm and softly whispered, "Okay, sorry."

Turning back around in the seat to face forward, barely acknowledging the crowd behind her, Buffy said, "Harmony, I will ask you one more time, HOW did you get here and where did you find a vampire biker dude and a demon?"

"My gang and I were …," Buffy cut her off.

"Your gang? Get real," Buffy huffed.

"Okay … my … minions and I were hiding in a train tunnel last night here in town and there he was. We rescued him." Harmony thought for a second, "Since we rescued him, does that make me good now?" Harmony asked with sincerity, slowly sizzling under her blanket.

Buffy finally looked back at Tyler, immediately sparking him to finish Harmony's story. "Well, you see my friend and I were happy as dung beetles living in our filth pit when the whole world went crazy. So, so, so," he stuttered as he got excited with the tale, "we stayed in there until this lady and her friends found us. Of course, my friend was then attacked about thirty minutes later and ripped apart by the infected when they chased us from the tunnel."

"Yeah, my buddies too," the biker vamp added.

"Great rescue job there Harmony," Buffy concluded. "But how did you get out of the pub and down here to Dover in the first place?"

"Oh, after you all left Kate and I went back out and tried to put up some more signs. All these biker guys came along so I invited them back to the pub for drinks and there you have it. Oh, Oh, then I decided to come down here because you were coming down here, that's what your note said when we got back to the bar. Anyway, I figured you were going somewhere safe so if I we all went where you were going, we'd be safe too. So here we are." Harmony finished with a satisfied smile beaming across her face.

"Were the bikers vampires BEFORE or AFTER they met you?" Buffy asked politely, trying to quell the anger growing within her chest.

"Well, a girl's gotta eat." Trying to think of anything she could use for an excuse, Harmony finally added, "Anyway, Kate did it."

"Harmony! I did not! I can't turn anyone. I'm too new at this stuff." Kate had a subtle tone of desperation in her voice. "Don't lie like that. I thought we were friends?"

Kate's loud protest sounded sincere enough to Buffy. Anyway, she knew Harmony would throw her own mother under the bus to save herself. However, on second thought, Buffy noticed from Kate's robust protest that she must have regained a great deal of her strength. Buffy was sure the young vampire had done her fair share of drinking blood. Buffy wondered just how guilty was Kate. How many people had she killed to survive thus far? Buffy's concern seemed to turn toward jealousy, asking herself, "_Did William's little toy kill someone? If so, she needs to die. After all, I'm the famed Vampire Slayer and she is just another blood sucking monster."_

"Harmony, when this is over, I am going to kill you," Buffy said with calm certainty in her voice.

Harmony spoke up again, "Can we talk about that? I mean I am a reformed vampire. I mean, I don't usually eat …," she stopped herself, knowing the futility of discussing this with Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Buffy's subtle answer stopped any further drabbles from Harmony. "No. You die. End of discussion."

.

**A/N**: It has been a challenge to get back to reading, reviewing, and writing for my story. Thanks to those who mentioned that I had this chapter messed up when I loaded it a few months ago. Again, this is my systematic spelling corrections and slight storyline improvements as I work toward Chapter 12.


	7. Chapter 7

**CH: 7**

**Regroup**

Arriving back at the old couple's house Buffy politely knocked on the door and, after hearing Ivy again tell Charles not to shoot, Buffy explained that they just needed to clean up and regroup after rescuing some people. Charles and Ivy were just as helpful this time to the whole crowd of new visitors as they were yesterday to just Buffy and William. Seeing them offer their home to total strangers renewed some of Buffy's confidence in the little humanity that likely remained.

Everyone quickly settled in for a few hours of rest before whatever came next. Tyler watched a DVD with their elderly gun totting host. Tyler kept a hat on so his horns wouldn't show. Harmony and the rest of the group milled around the house chatting. Buffy decided to get cleaned up and showered again. The blood splatter thing had really, really scared her.

She was not offended and did not even try to cover herself when William came in to give her another towel for her hair. He could not help but look at her. She was a true work of miraculous art, beautiful, delicate, yet so strong. He felt lost in her soft sensuality.

He caught himself after what seemed like an hour but was only a few seconds. "I, uh, came to also … also … let you know lunch was ready." William was a little startled when Buffy gave him a hug as she stood there dripping on the bathroom floor.

"Thank you for just being there today. You saved my life … again. I won't forget that Will." Pulling her head off his chest, she looked up at him and their eyes met for a moment. She leaned toward him. Their lips met just as she closed her eyes. For a brief second, she was free of all her stresses. She recalled how it felt during the very first time she and Angel passionately kissed. Her mind touched on the memories of Riley and even of Spike as she passionately and very slowly kissed William. As their lips parted, she could see William was almost turning a light shade of blue.

"You can breathe now Will," she said, softly smiling at him.

He exhaled slowly. After she turned back toward the bathroom mirror he slowly turned and left the bathroom, stopping twice to steady himself. He felt a little dizzy from either forgetting to breath or just the kiss itself.

The group of people, demons and monsters gathered around the kitchen table. Buffy nibbled a bit at the finger food on her plate. She didn't eat much after William excused himself to take Kate a fresh homemade cookie from Ivy's oven. The young vampire only ate a few chips and had some water before going up stairs to lie down.

Buffy, with some effort, shook off the thoughts she was ashamed to admit she even felt. Instead, she sat at the table in silence, thinking about how she could use all this new … help. To Buffy, any real plan … in the end … left just two people standing and the rest were dust … or … whatever happens to Kate's kind when they get staked. _"What of Tyler… seemed okay enough, jury's out as yet on him."_

Buffy sat there, glum, when Ralph, the biker vampire, looked like he planned to nibble on little old Miss Ivy as an after lunch snack. The little old lady was happily working on cutting up onions and making stuff for dinner if needed. She was totally innocent and unaware of the demon behind her.

"Hey, Ralphy boy. Whatcha doin?" Buffy asked with a false sense of warmth.

Ralph looked up from Miss Ivy's neck. A tiny trickle of blood was barely visible from one little puncture wound in the elderly ladies neck. "Oh, uh, nothing Slayer." Ralph seemed a little nervous.

"Ralphy, can I see you in the other room for a minute," Buffy said with a diminutive grin on her face.

"Uh, sure, yeah." Ralph followed her to a spot near the stairs. "Slayer, just so you know, it's not …," he never finished the sentence.

Buffy gently took his hand and flung her hair so as to expose her neck. "Can you and I maybe go upstairs for a little privacy?"

Somewhat shocked but clearly not long enough to think about the situation, Ralph smiled and eagerly agreed. "I, uh, didn't know you were into this stuff slayer."

At the top of the stairs she turned toward him as if to kiss him then kicked into full slayer mode. She snatched him by the hair without causing a disturbance and dragged him down the hallway. She didn't even wake Charles and Tyler, napping in the living room with the DVD still playing in the background.

Regaining his footing Ralph began to struggle so Buffy simply snapped his neck, causing him to hang limp in her grasp. She threw the wayward vampire out a window she took time to open just for that purpose. Ralph tried to make a few gurgling noises as he excited the house but Buffy was not inclined to spare him. He burst into flames and was dust before he hit the ground. She could hear William and Kate running to see what the noise was all about.

When William and Kate arrived, Buffy took it like a pro … all but her eyes. The look in her eyes told how she felt inside. It hurt her deep down inside to see Kate standing there with William. Kate was dripping wet, with only a towel barely wrapped around her. She had been, apparently, taking a shower as Buffy had recently done.

Seeing the window open and one of Ralph's boots on the floor, William had to ask, "Buffy, what was all the flippin noise? What happen to the big bloke vampire?"

William was too young, too inexperienced to read Buffy's eyes. Surely, one would think, he had to know how incriminating it looked. Just standing there like that with Kate made it seem like he was such a player. Too many thoughts entered her head at one time. _"Did they? So what if they did? What am I thinking? I shouldn't be feeling this way! I can't feel this way!"_ She walked past William and Kate without saying a word.

Buffy went back down stairs and forced Harmony to sit down at the table to talk. After telling Harmony about Ralph's fate, Harmony was more than willing to give Buffy every detail of her and Kate's journey to Dover. Buffy seemed very interested in who bit who all along the way.

William and Kate stayed upstairs talking. Kate was obviously shaken when she realized that Buffy threw Ralph out the window. She wondered if she would be next. Although William was blind to the hidden look in Buffy's eyes, Kate was still a member of the female gender, and Kate could sense the ache mixed with anger that Buffy felt deep inside.

"William," Kate said with a deeply troubled expression on her face, "what is it … really … between you and Buffy?" Kate was lying on her back, naked under the bed covers. She had washed her clothes and they were air drying by the window. William lay, fully clothed on top of the bed, propped up on one elbow, a look of fascination on his face.

"I, I don't really know," he began. "I mean, bloody hell, the woman has saved my life a million times already and … and she has been there since I lost my brother."

"William, I see something between you two that seems … complicated. How … what … what is it?" Kate looked at him with her dark brown eyes. They seemed almost hypnotic to William.

After a moment's delay he finally spoke up again, "We had … I mean … it wasn't exactly … I think …," William couldn't find the right words as he stammered along. Finally, he simply ended with, "you must think I'm a nutter for sure."

She could read his silence and, he thought, maybe his mind. She turned to face him, propping herself up on an elbow as well, still hiding all her parts under the covers. She looked at him intensely for a moment before speaking with a curious sense of precision in her voice. "William, she is right about me. I am not all innocent and sweet and fragile. I am a monster."

With those words she closed her eyes and relaxed. Taking a deep, needless breath, she opened them again. They were an electric blue and her fangs were extended. Without the customary lumpy face of the other vampires, she seemed even more vibrant and alive and sensual.

William was amazed at the transformation of this girl before his eyes. She leaned a little closer to him and he instinctively leaned a little further away from her, careful to not fall off the bed.

"William, I could snap your neck right now and drink from you and there is nothing you could do to stop me." She brought her other arm from under the covers, momentarily exposing her bare chest to him. Reaching out, she caught his arm tightly in her grasp causing the amazement in his eyes to turn to worry.

"Hey, let go. If ya wanna snog just ask, don't get all physical on me." He tried to pull his arm away but couldn't. "Hey, what are you doing?" The tone of his voice implied a sudden alarm.

In one fluid movement, Kate rolled out from under the covers, tumbling to the floor on top of William. She immediately pinned him under her, holding his hands down with ease. Although the situation had him more than puzzled, he still took time to notice the features of her naked body straddling him as they wrestled on the floor.

It really was not much of a wrestling match in the end, mainly him squirming and Kate just holding him in place. She lowered herself down on him. She thought it funny that she could still feel something pushing up against her through his cloths and the scattered blankets. She carefully racked her fangs across his neck, careful not to draw blood. Finally she whispered in his ear, "William, I am a monster. Don't forget that."

Kate knew he was convoluted about what he felt for her and whatever was going on between him and Buffy. "William, whatever you feel for Buffy is more real than whatever you can have with me. I know I can't live like this … or be dead like this … forever. I figure that the infection, the sun, Buffy, another vampire or something will end my existence sooner or later. I may even do it myself … in time."

"Kate, you can live forever. That doesn't sound that bloody bad." William eased a little although she still had him firmly pinned to the floor under her.

She lowered her head to his chest and seemed to snuggle up to him just a little. "Do you trust me?" She asked in an innocent sounding voice.

"Hell of a time to freakin ask me but … I guess … sorta yes," William apprehensively confirmed.

"William, you're stupid! Can't you see what I am, what I can do?" Kate was frustrated that he could not see the danger that she was to him. "You don't understand. You tempt me in all sorts of ways I don't understand. I want, want to … be held and …," tears started to flow from her electric blue eyes, "loved."

Kate looked at him with a well of emotion in her eyes. It was bubbling to the surface and she seemed desperate to get it off her chest. "Before being turned" she said in a whimpering tearful voice, "I was a virgin. The friggin bastards created me to be their plaything, their sex toy!"

William looked at her with his mouth hanging open. This level of darkness was like nothing he had been involved with in his life. "I'm sorry Kate," was all he could think to say.

Kate's voice eased and she continued, "Since waking up … changed … I've been forced to … do things. Things that I would never have agreed to do when I was human. The thing that troubles me so much is … the … bad things I do … bother me less and less … not like it should bother me." She shook her head as if to clear the ugly imagines from her mind. A look of seriousness came over Kate's face all the sudden. It was like she went emotionally cold.

"Even after the infection killed off my sire, I ended up still being nothing but someone's sex toy. After I hooked up with Harmony I thought it might not be that bad anymore. However, the price of admission and safety was to do whatever Sarr wanted us to do. He used Harmony and I whenever he got bored torturing the prisoners."

"Damn wankers! How could they do that to you?" William thought it funny how he was comforting her even when he didn't exactly know her intent. She was still holding him fast to the floor.

"William, it's like I lose a little bit of myself every day. Every time I feed, every time I smell blood, I feel like a little more of the old me dies and the other me gets stronger. Someday, there won't be any of the old me left."

"Kate … I feel," she cut him off abruptly.

"No! Don't feel anything for me!" Her voice quivered for a moment. Finally she spoke again, "See, you not only tempt me in the normal way boys and girls tempt each other, you also tempt me as prey. I look at you and I want to swallow every drop of your blood and, and, and … I know that sooner or later, that part of me will win. Don't ever forget my monsterness."

She released her grasp on him and stood up gathering the blankets from where ever they landed when she rolled out from under the covers. William stood and watched her closely, thinking about all she just said. She moved with such grace and beauty, _"her small round butt, tight muscular legs, soft puffy ni …,"_ he abruptly stopped his train of thought.

He noticed the wound under her left breast, where Buffy shoved a stake into her just a couple days ago. It was almost healed, looking like a cigarette burn mark about the size of a fresh fifty pence. No human could have survived that. Also, no normal girl her size could hold him down so easily. As she walked around, she oddly did not change her vampire appearance, the eyes and the fangs remained visible even after she crawled back under the covers on the bed. What started out looking sexy was now starting to look creepy.

"William, I have something else to confess to you. I deceived you that night back at the pub." She patted the bed next to her, indicating that William was welcome to sit beside her. After he made it clear that he chose to remain standing, she continued with her confession.

"Buffy is right. One day, I will be an empty shell of the person I use to be. I may not inherit a demon like Harmony's kind of vampire does but, I'll have no compassion, empathy, feeling, kindness." Her voice went to a whisper as she looked away for a second. "All that makes me worth something will fade away! I can't be like that! Maybe I SHOULD die." Tears welled up in her eyes but she didn't cry.

"Before you all arrived, Sarr had lured in several people … as food. He decided to drain some and keep the rest as prisoners. I watch as Sarr and a couple of the other guys killed and drained those people. An elderly couple, the man in a wheelchair, was part of the group he decided to keep around and drain slowly." Retelling the story noticeably troubled her.

"The old man in the wheelchair …," she started. "Sarr killed the man's wife in front of him but decided to keep him to ration out because he wouldn't be able to escape easily. One night it was my turn to feed off of him. Being the youngest and the weakest, I always got to feed last," she added.

"We were only allowed to take a little from the prisoners every day so that they could last longer." Kate was lost in the thought. William could almost see it replaying in her eyes. "The old man never stopped crying about his wife. He told me they had been together 52 years … 52 years!"

William listened intently, finally joining her on the bed. He decided to not lie down beside her just yet. "Sounds like Sarr was an arse for sure," William muttered.

"When I was feeding on the old man's arm, he touched my shoulder. He asked me to not stop with just a few ounces of blood. He begged me to take it all, to end his suffering. He said he wanted to be with his wife again." Kate looked away from William.

William reached over and touched her face, "Did you?"

"Y … yes, I killed him." She closed her eyes, pushing out several fresh tears.

William just looked at her, amazed that this fragile looking wafer could kill something bigger than a bug. Words finally came to him, "My God Kate! You killed an innocent defenseless man." It was now that he really felt deceived. "We talked for hours that night and you didn't think to clue me in there luv?"

"Oh sure," she said being slightly sarcastic, "I can see how that conversation would go, 'hey, you like Lady Gaga? Oh, I killed a man.'"

"Well, you could have said SOMETHING about it," is all William could offer. He did not want to concede that she had a good point. He would have likely staked her again himself that night had she told him.

"If I didn't do it the man would have kept suffering and everything. It was torture for the poor man after they murdered his wife in front of him. Sarr or one of the others would have killed him anyway."

Kate thought for an instant, "I … I did as the he asked. I didn't want to see him … suffer anymore. I thought I was …," Her eyes watered up with emotion and burning guilt. She started to bawl like a baby.

William instinctively pulled her up into his arms and held her. She had bit her lip with her own fang as she was crying. He watched as several drops of blood trickled down her lip and dripped from her chin onto her shoulder. He wiped her face with his shirt sleeve.

He felt sorry for her, for all she had to endure. His thoughts started justifying her actions for an instant, _'Being a vampire was not something she chose. It was forced on her." _Reality sat in when he thought again of the poor man she had sucked dry.

Eventually, the crying slowed down and she looked back up at him. "I don't know what I feel for you William. Whatever it is … it scares me … yet, it doesn't. I can't explain. Maybe I'm afraid to let myself feel what I'm feeling. I know I'm talking crazy. I'm so sorry. I can't help but … want you."

William paused for a moment and then said, "But do you want me as your man or as your dinner?"

"I … don't know. That's my point! I think I … I … care for you. I see how Buffy looks at you and I see her anger and jealousy. I know she wants to rip my head off, literally. If she finds out that something happened between us, I think … I'm sure, she'd kill me."

"Oh, I don't think it's like that with Buffy. I mean hell yeah, I got a bit of a crush on her but it's not like we're a couple you know." William was feeling a twinge of guilt as he said that and didn't know why. He released his hold on Kate and moved slightly closer to the edge of the bed.

"William what you and I did at the pub the other night. I mean … I enjoyed the talking, playing around and being a teen again … at least I felt like a teen again for a short time."

Her electric blue eyes and fangs now seemed to repel him more than attract him. "I liked it too luv but, I'm still in a bit of a spin over your feeding habits," William said with a coldness.

Kate continued, "When you touched me and we kissed … and you held me that night, it felt for a little while like I was normal again."

William's mind went back to the pub. Hidden among the hours of talking and laughing and some eventual sleeping, there was a very special … memory. As she spoke he replayed ever second of it from front to back several times.

"I felt fragile to your touch because I was weak. I hadn't fed since … since the man in the wheelchair and I was dying from my wounds. Wooden stakes can do the job, it's just silver stakes do it quicker for my kind." She pulled down the sheet to remind him of the scare on her chest. She dropped the sheet further showing him the small scare that remained from her stomach wound. True to his gender and age, he focused more on her exposed chest and belly button than the wounds.

"I felt your body give me warmth when the cold made me shiver." She softly reached up and touched his cheek. "I was content to lie there and laugh and talk and just fade away in your arms but, you decided to save me.

William felt a rush of humility cascade over him. "I … saved you?" He asked.

"Yes, you saved me William. Somewhere in the night you held me and you let me feed on you … willingly. You didn't know for certain if you would change. Just because my first quick bite didn't change you, the possibility was there. You saved me willingly and I respected that and did not take too much."

William didn't know what to say. This depth of feeling was so complicated. It was much easier back when the thrill of the day was just watching Buffy shower back with his friends at the Harefield. Now, he had feelings for two women and he didn't know what to think or feel._ "They should cover this stuff in school,"_ he thought.

"You sacrificed, for me. You risked your life, for me. It made me feel human again." Kate reached up, bare-chested, and hugged him.

William slowly moved toward her lips. Her eyes and fangs didn't bother him anymore. His lips brushed softly against hers. They kissed a slow passionate deep kiss. He explored her sharp fangs with his tongue as her tongue intertwined with his. Somewhere in the kiss, her eyes faded back to brown and her razor sharp fangs retract.

Eventually, Kate's clothes dried enough to put them on and she and William made it down stairs just in time to hear Buffy and Tyler discussing the details of a bold plan aimed at finally making it to the secret military installation. The conversation lasted into the night with all five of them adding their thoughts, and at times, expressing some considerable anger.

After hearing everybody's opinions for about the third time, Buffy ended the conversation slapping her hand down hard on the kitchen table. "Okay, okay, I get it. You want time for the infected to die off or wonder away. I agree the place is crawling with them. One week! If our hosts will let us stay for one week longer, that is all I am going to wait! Seven days from now, I am going to find that government facility. I am also leaving no non-humans behind here with Charles and Ivy. You can read between the lines on that I hope!" She was sure to make eye contact with Kate, Harmony and Tyler as she said the last part of your sentence.

They all quietly agreed and each went to a different part of the house to think about things, alone. The next week passed quickly. Buffy spent most the time sleeping and talking to Tyler about all he knew concerning the demon world. He was not Giles but it felt comforting to have someone in her group again who knew demonology and could be her advisor.

The daily television provided Harmony and the others hours of entertainments with a collection of DVDs that spanned the last ten years of American and British soaps. Kate and William seemed to be alone together often and eventually Buffy came to accept it. She noticed a few little bite marks on his inner thigh once when he walked by her in the hall with just a towel wrapped around him. She thought of confronting him about feeding Kate from himself but she decided to just leave it alone.

Finally, when the sun began to set on the seventh day, everybody gathered in the kitchen for what Harmony called, 'The Last Supper'. Ivy had a few chickens still alive out back, so she asked Buffy to get one for dinner. Buffy didn't want to watch the poor thing meet its fate. Harmony, of course, was ecstatic, since killing the chicken old fashioned country style involved violence and blood … and she got the blood.

It amazed Buffy that the old lady had such strength of character about her. Here they were in an apocalypse. Most of England was either insane or dead. The infected were everywhere. Yet, this pleasant old man and old woman lived their lives now, much as they had before the infection broke out.

When darkness came, the odd group of William, Buffy, Harmony, Kate, and Tyler thanked Charles and Ivy again for their kindness, then, the motley crew got in the car. William was the designated driver, Buffy was shotgun. The rest were crammed in the back. Each had a weapon. Each knew the plan … what there was of it.

It was unanimously decided by the group: no more rescues, no stops, kill anything in the way, and above all, avoid the infected. The map was checked and rechecked. The trip would be dangerous but now, with five, they had a better chance of making it.

William started the car, "Off we go then."

.

**A/N:** This delves back to the night William and Kate were at the pub and had a steamy moment. Obviously, ole Willy and Kate may have a little more going than just a kiss in this chapter too. I added a few more details as well as I kept the crew there an extra week at Charles and Ivy's house than the previous version. It helps to support some of the future storyline and it made more sense than rushing back out there right after the big rescue of the last chapter.

To me, this story is far more than just fighting zombie like infected people. This is a story about the human dynamic … love, feelings of abandonment, fear, strength, determination. I hope most of you all agree. I would love to hear anyone's thoughts concerning how I have painted emotions into the story.


	8. Chapter 8

**CH: 8**

**.**

**Surprise!**

.

Driving through the streets of Dover just after Dusk even made the hair stand up on Harmony's neck. "Just for the record," she said, "I am like cool with the dead and all but this gives me the creeps."

"Harmony, you're a vampire you moron," Buffy said jadedly. "You're a blood sucking fiend. You GIVE people the creeps."

Harmony crossed her arms and pouted, "I'm not a monster!"

"Uh ... hello, yes you are," Buffy burst back at her. "Last time I checked, vampires were definitely in the monster category."

"Hmpt," Harmony scoffed. "We're just … misunderstood."

"Misunderstood my as …," Buffy was interrupted by an infected little girl bouncing off the top of the car, knocking the police lightbar off as she fell to the pavement.

"Blimey, I didn't see the little bugger! Where'd she come from?" The surprise, and the fact it looked like a little girl of about six or seven had William shaken for an instant. Then he slammed on his brakes at what was ahead.

"The kid must have jumped on the car from a nearby apartment window I would gather." Tyler said from the backseat with calm certainty.

"What the bloody … hell?" William started putting the car in reverse until he noticed what was approaching in the rearview mirror.

They had been driving for about thirty minutes in an effort to drive around the outskirts of Dover but eventually they had to make their way into a more congested area. They had happened past a school where it appears the students were still … in session. It looked like forty or more children in front of them, blocking the roadway, several deep. Behind the car loomed more it seemed. They were surrounded.

"Now this is a hairy pickle," Tyler professed.

"That does not at all sound remotely appetizing," Buffy said as she surveyed the situation.

Slinking a little down in her seat, Kate said softly, "I don't think the car will make it through them all."

Just as the crowd started rushing toward the car, Buffy yelled for William to "floor it."

The car lurched forward and immediately struck several more kids. One firmly hit the windshield, threatening to break it with just the force of the impact. Two more were clinging to the back bumper. Hands slammed hard on the car windows and roof top as the car tried to pick up a little speed.

One larger kid fell under the car's front bumper. Suddenly the wheel jerked hard to the right and they went veering off to one side. Luckily William caught it, not before hitting a garbage can and knocking out a headlight. The car continued to pull to the right and Buffy had to reach over and help him hold it somewhat straight. A few seconds later the car broke through the crowd and they were past the horde of blood spewing insane school children.

"Buffy!" William exclaimed. "I can't hold it on the road. Something's wrong with the bloody steerage."

"Stop and back up, maybe that'll help," Tyler offered. Everyone knew what was causing the problem. They could hear the horrible wet scraping sound coming from under the car.

Harmony wrinkled up her nose, "Think it's … dead yet?"

"Pretty sure whoever it was is very dead by now," Buffy concluded. "William, we have to pull over and get that out from under there. Look for somewhere … empty."

"And how do you plan to dislodge the beastie?" William tried to hold the car straight while he spoke but even with Buffy's help, it seemed to pull to the right. Feeling the car begin to jerk slightly, he said, "If something breaks under there, we're done for."

"There! Pull over there and try to back up. Maybe it will come out from under the wheels." Buffy had a worried look on her face.

William turned into an empty car park of a grocery store, came to a quick stop and slammed the gear in reverse. He did three loops backward before trying to rock the car forward and reverse in short, rapid succession. It didn't seem to work.

While still rocking the car back and forth William shot a question laced with more than a little worry, "What now Buffy?"

"Oh boy, we have company," Harmony whispered. It looked like a small group of students had not given up the case just yet. They were just coming around a corner and headed for the parking lot.

They seemed to be led by an older man who vaguely reminded Buffy of Principle Flutie from her first days back in Sunnydale. The thought struck her as to how many people she has known who have died horrible deaths. Just then Buffy came back with a solution, "Tyler, you're with me. Grab that axe. Will, give me your rifle."

"Huh? What? Are you daft woman?" William objected.

"No time to argue. Just be ready to go when we get that thing out from under the car." With that said Buffy popped open the car door and jumped out with Tyler not far behind her.

Without further direction, Tyler went to the side of the car and started jabbing at the mass of tangled flesh that was twisted under the car. "Geez! What a mess!" He exclaimed.

Buffy got into position behind the car and took aim with the rifle. She was not too good of a shot but she had improved greatly over the last few weeks. _"Plenty of practice,"_ she thought. The adult male was leading the small pack of kids. _"Kids! How in God's name can I …,"_ her thoughts stopped abruptly as she pulled the trigger and the adult fell to the ground, blood spurting from his chest.

She looked at the handful of kids that continued to advance toward her. Their features were a smudged blur of torment and anger. The thought came to her that these kids were not demons, vampires, or monsters. They had been normal little kids in their normal little school before all this happened. She lowered her rifle for an instant. The thought raced through her mind, _"These are kids, infected with a virus, but still just children!"_

One started coming at her. She noticed his features as he approached. He was all human … and absolutely deadly. The boy's nose was deformed. It was just bits and pieces of cartilage actually. Another little girl had part of her cheek gone. Buffy could in fact see her jawbone through the torn flesh. Another boy had a large scar over his eye. It was overshadowed only by his blood red eyes. They all wore scraps of clothing.

The kids were only a few feet away when Buffy's focus came back to reality. She pulled the rifle to her shoulder and fired at the two closest, ending their suffering. Two more children were practically on her when a firm thrust to the chin of one and a side-kick to another tossed their little bodies back into the remaining group of attackers. Buffy fired several more times, ending the fight.

"Any day now Tyler," Buffy said over her shoulder. She could see more of them coming from down the street.

"Almost got it," came a muffled reply from under the car.

"Uh … we have less than a minute before the second wave gets here and I don't think they're from Triple A." Only Harmony got the pun, listening with the windowed slightly rolled down.

"I think … I … got it! Okay back up slowly," Tyler instructed. He rolled out from under the car just as William put it in gear.

The car rolled off of a heaped up mass of unrecognizable meat. "It worked!" William shouted. "Hurry up! Stop dossing off out there! Get in!"

Buffy and Tyler leaped in the car as Buffy shouted, "Let's get outta here!"

William pulled away as the new crowd of infected approached. "There's an entrance to the motorway up the road. I'll get on it."

In less than a minute, William had the car on the highway speeding away from the growing second wave of infected that came out at the first sound of gunfire. Guns and explosions seemed to attract them like moths to a flame.

It took two hours and three near run-ins with clusters of infected but, they managed to make it all the way through the remainder of Dover without another direct confrontation. Finally, speeding around a turn successfully shaking an infected nun from the hood of the car, William declared, "We're here."

They had made it through Dover and were now on the outskirts of the east side of the city. A darkened office park was coming into view. It seemed suddenly quiet, nothing but paper and trash moving across the road. Everyone shifted uneasily in their seats.

"You sure this is it?" Buffy asked.

"This is the place," William said in reply as he pointed with one finger to the map on his knee. "Here, look for the addy as I pull in." William handed Buffy a scrap of paper with the address scrawled on it.

After a minute of driving between several office buildings, Buffy saw the numbers above the main entrance. "There," she said, pointing to a dark building on the edge of the office park. "Hmmm, not what I expected," her voice sounded a little disappointed. She thought for a moment then supposed, "Don't guess it would have signs all around it say 'SUPER SECRET GOVERNMENT FACILITY' would it?"

The super secret government facility looked like the average run of the mill six story office complex to Buffy. Most of the first and second floor the windows boarded up and the entrances were blocked with concrete barricades. None of the other buildings were secured like that. It was clear somebody had tried to defend the place.

The wind whistled through the surrounding trees, merging with the far-off moans of whatever lies in wait in the secluded darkness. The building itself, seemed silent; standing big and sinister in the nippy night air. All three of the girls checked themselves to see if they were 'nipping out'.

Buffy, William and the others climbed out of the rather beaten up former police car, and for a moment, they just gazed at the building, wondering where to start, and what they would find. Would there be survivors or just hordes of the infected waiting for fresh meat to attack? Buffy shivered in the cool night breeze and held her axe tight.

Buffy looked over at William, and he flashed a lopsided grin her way. "Ready?" he asked.

"Not really," she replied with a look of gloom on her face.

Kate noticed the non-verbal connection between them. Four months ago she would have said that whatever was going on between William and Buffy as just plain weird. However, for Kate the world had REALLY changed. In the previous few months she had seen so many really strange, 'out of this world' things, (namely being turned into a vampire herself) that little social rules and laws didn't matter to her anymore. So, a thirty year old Buffy and a teen boy toying with some sort of hidden 'almost' relationship seemed, now, like no big deal.

"Wait a sec," William said as he dashed back to the car. After a little rummaging around in the back compartment he discovered a spare shotgun and a box of shells. "This might help," handing Buffy the weapon. "Constables are always good for some accoutrements," he said referring to the equipment he just pulled out of the car. "I remembered seeing it yesterday buried under stuff."

Buffy willingly accepted the weapon from William with a simple, "Thanks."

William briefly reviewed the operation of a pump-shotgun with her, showing her how to load it. Buffy looked the gun over, and tucked the shells into a side-pocket in her pants.

Harmony stretched and chattered to Tyler about the usual Harmony nothingness. Tyler seemed to take it all in with a good natured smile.

Kate just leaned against the car and watched William and Buffy go over the shotgun. She struggled with her thoughts about William. Part of her was upset, jealous that he would flaunt Buffy in front of her after what she and William just … experienced over the last week. Kate struggled with another emotion. A part of her didn't care and that scared her more. _"Is it because I am becoming a soulless monster with no power to feel, to love, to cry about others?" _

Almost simultaneously, William and Buffy walked a little distance from the car, toward the building and then stopped. William turned to look at her. He wanted to say something but words escaped him. His heart fluttered when Buffy shot him a warm smile. It was one of those moments when she seemed to have her defenses down and he could sense her feelings. William had come to almost expect this occasional glimpse into her heart. For all her experience and fighting and mystical Slayer abilities, she was also just a woman with all the wonders and shortcoming and emotions. He loved her strength but also her weaknesses. _"She is amazing! How could I NOT have a crush on her?" _

She leaned in and kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you … for everything William. I could not have gotten this far without you. And I don't mean just the fighting stuff. I've sorta … needed somebody to stand beside me. I've lost everything … everyone … to include myself in this mess." Her eyes began to water.

Kate's eyes caught every touch, every move between Buffy and William. She could see their connection. A terrible feeling of emptiness and loneliness felt like it was crushing down on her all of the sudden. Pulling herself off the car she was still leaning on, Kate sighed, turned and walked out into the darkened parking lot unnoticed.

"I don't … I know we can't … but I want you to know … that I care." Buffy looked at him intensely for a full minute. She seemed lost in his youthful appearance. Then she leaned in toward him again, this time not aiming for his cheek. Their lips met and, for an instant, nothing else seemed to matter.

For a young teen, William displayed a great deal of common sense, poise and character. His touch and passion told Buffy that he would someday be a heartbreaker. When their kiss softly parted, William's response was simple but touched Buffy deeply. "Buffy, being with you on this trip gave me something to believe in again."

"Uh … eewww. Desperate much," Harmony voiced as she and Tyler walked up to Buffy and William.

Buffy shot her a stern look with a noticeable stink-eye before she conclude, "Okay, let's do this."

As all of them gathered close looking at the building they were about to try to enter, a feeling of anxiety seemed to touch each of them. This was not going to be as easy as it looked.

As they all began to walk toward the building, William looked around and noticed at that moment, one person was not there. "Where's Kate?"

After a few minutes of discussion and several short sprints to both sides of the building in order to see if she was anywhere nearby, William concluded that she was gone. Quickly, the group all gathered back at the car. 'I last saw her leaning on the car,' is all each of them could say.

"We can't hunt for her." Buffy's blunt conclusion hit William with a little surprise.

"We can't just bloody abandon her," William retorted.

"Actually, yes we can," Buffy said. "She's a vampire and …"

"Hello, standing right here!" Harmony bellowed. "Vampire's are people too you know!"

"No you're not. You're monsters, not people," Buffy explained.

"And Kate's type of vampire is rather strong in comparison to the average vampire. If she becomes infected, she could prove to be a difficult adversary." Tyler chimed in.

"Well, aren't you all Mr. Spockish." Buffy observed.

"Well, I do have my master's degree in occult literature," Tyler replied.

Buffy just looked at him, "Huh, how?"

Without a tone of animosity in his voice, Tyler simply said, "Just because I live in a filth pit does not mean I'm not wired. Online classes these days are amazing."

Harmony interrupted, "She is pretty strong for a newbie … Kate, I mean. She is pretty strong. I would hate to fight her if she became one of them."

"Look, we have no idea where she ran off to. She made her own decisions. I'm not wasting my time looking for her." Buffy looked at the others and then turned to walk toward the building.

Glancing back toward the car one last time Harmony spoke up, "Hey, isn't that her … way over there?" Harmony pointed into the darkness out of everyone's view.

Buffy stopped walking and looked, straining to see into the shadows. "I can't see anything." Thinking for a second, she added, "You're the one with vampire night vision anyway."

"Oh, now it's okay to be a vampire, when you need my super eyeballs." Harmony's disapproval fell on deaf ears. "She probably left because she got tired of watching you two make goo-goo eyes at each other!" Harmony crossed her arms and pouted as a visual exclamation point to her statement.

William's eyes got big. "I didn't think … damn it all to hell! I'm such a git!" He took several steps in the direction Harmony had pointed. "Where is she? I can't see a bloody thing."

"Everybody needs Harmony now," Harmony declared. I can't see her now. She walked into those woods over there, probably eaten by now."

Buffy snapped into decision-maker role. "Harmony, Tyler, you go after her if you must. Will … I'm going in there," Buffy motioned to the building just a few hundred feet away. "I need you with me, not lost in the woods."

"Buffy, I need to find her!" William said in desperation.

Buffy grabbed his arm, "Will … Harmony and Tyler are stronger and better able to hunt her down in the dark. Trust them to handle it."

"EXCUSE me, excuse me," Harmony piped up. "Maybe so but I don't want to go out there hunting for her. I could get eaten too," Harmony said with a whine in her voice.

"Buffy, I'm going after her … with or without you." William's statement hit Buffy like a shock of electricity.

"_This is the guy she just thanked and kissed and now he wants to run off after that pointy toothed floozy."_ Her eyes narrowed. "No!"

"Stop me then," William challenged, dropping his rifle at her feet, and sprinting toward the darkness.

"William!" Buffy stood there uncertain what to do for a moment. She watched as he disappeared into the dark. Looking at Tyler and Harmony she said, you two … uh ... stay here and wait for me."

Buffy tossed Tyler her shotgun and she took off running after William.

"Forget that! I'm coming with you!" Harmony dropped her axe and fell in behind Buffy with Tyler a distant last place. Running was not his specialty.

Buffy, looking over her shoulder at Harmony as Buffy ran, said, "I thought you didn't want to go into the woods?"

"Well, it's safer in there with you than out here alone," Harmony commented. Looking ahead of them, Harmony added, "God, I hope I don't get my shoes muddy."

.

Kate walked alone in the darkness. It was quiet, peaceful in the woods near the office park. She needed time to think; time to find any little part herself that remained. She didn't know what to feel or think. Life … and dead was so confusing. So was being in love with a human. Not long ago she was human too. Now she seemed to bounce between wanting to make love to him or drain him of every drop of blood.

She wanted William very much but she knew she couldn't have him. Sooner or later she would likely want to drink from him … again and again and again. She would either convert him to the doomed creature she had become or she would kill him. Yet, for now … she knew she felt for him. For now, she wanted him in a soft, gentle way … but when would that end. When would she wake up next to him one night and decide that he is dinner instead of a lover?

Kate slowly stepped out of the woods and into a little clearing of trees. Maybe this should be the place. It looked peaceful, pretty, and green. Maybe this was where she should sit and wait … for the sunrise. Kate propped herself up on a rock near the edge of the wood line, resolved to wait for the sun … and her end. She started to softly weep.

.

William ran through the woods tripping every few feet, unable to see even shadows in the darkness. He wondered if he should have dropped his gun at Buffy's feet … might have been a good idea to have it along just in case. Dropping it at her feet did seem to have the dramatic effect he wanted but now it left him without a weapon.

He lightly called out Kate's name over and over in hopes that she would hear him and not a horde of forest dwelling infected. He could hear, what he hoped was Buffy and the others somewhere not far behind him. He started to wonder if this was a good idea … out in the woods of a terminator type zombie infested world hunting for a vampire that was way stronger than he was.

Just then, he heard something in front of him. Unless it was Kate, he was in trouble. "Kate? Kate? Oh bloody hell come on girl. Quit being such a prat. Are you out there?" Only the moving of leaves and an occasional breaking of a twig answered him back.

William decided he needed to move so he began running to his right. He wasn't going to run back to Buffy and give up on Kate but whatever happened to be a few hundred paces out there in front of him just didn't strike him as friendly. He ran and tripped and ran and tripped but seemed to be moving away from whatever it was. In the dark he could only make out the shadow of a lone figure. Was it stalking him? It was too big to be Kate. One distant glimpse he got of it looked like it had hairy arms and horns. He ran faster!

After a minute or so of running as quick as he could, he broke out into a clearing. He could see a figure in the faint moonlight silhouetted against a big rock on the other side of the clearing. "Kate! Kate! That You?" William ran full out toward the figure.

"William, you shouldn't be out here," a tender voice said as he approached the rock. "Go back."

William stopped about twenty feet from where she sat, perched on the rock. "You're a nutter for sure," he said, breathing hard from the run. "I'm not going back without you."

Through her sniffles Kate whispered, "William, you don't want me, you want her. You want Buffy."

William looked at her with desperation, "Kate! Just cause you saw me getting on with Buffy doesn't mean I feel less for you."

"This really sucks! You are such a player. Even as a vampire, I'm being played by a player. Wh … what, what, do you think I am? I may be a vampire but I am still a girl with feeling, for as long as they last. Do you think you can be intimate with me and then get all lovey with her too? I may not be human anymore but I still have feelings!" Kate sighed, "At least I have them for now."

"That's a load of bollocks," William argued. "It isn't easy being sixteen and a guy you know! I'm not some silly wanker little boy you know! I care for you. I just don't know …," he trailed off, the right words escaped him.

"I feel something for you William and it scares the hell out of me," Kate said wiping her eyes.

Looking at her somewhat puzzled, he said, "You're a super woman. You're a … vampire. How do I scare you? I, I know you could break my bloody neck in a heartbeat."

She came off the rock with one leap and landed right in front of him. She touched his face with her hand. "I'm not afraid of you hurting me physically you goof. What scares me is that you have the power to tear my heart out and stomp on it. At least that is how I feel."

"I don't want to hurt you Kate," William said with a sincere soft tone to his voice.

She sniffled again. "What really, really, terrifies me is that somewhere down the road, I will kill you if we are together too long. One day, I will just loose my last touch of humanity and I will kill you."

"Kate! No you won't. It's me. You won't hurt me," William said with convince.

"William, when I attacked you when we first met, I was likely going to drain you dry. Buffy saved you by kicking a field goal with my ribs." She said as she stepped into William's arms.

"Kate, you could have killed me several times over since then but you didn't."

"A part of me still has something … human-like inside, some feeling, some respect for life. But that will go away in time." Kate hung her head and couldn't look him in the eyes. "Buffy is right about me."

.

Buffy and Harmony eased their way out into the clearing behind a grouping of large rocks. It was dark but she could make out the figures of Kate and William in an embrace. Buffy stiffened as she walked closer, still keeping the rock between her and them. She wanted to hear what they were saying. She knew eavesdropping was not polite … but neither was running out into the dark zombie infested night. She listened quietly on her stealthy approach.

"Look," William said to Kate, exasperate with the conversation, "I'm … I'm just trying to make sense of what I feel too. We're in the middle of the end of the bloody world here you know."

"True, the world may come to an end … maybe even tonight … but that's beside the point Will. The real true issue William is that you're in love with a vampire … and a vampire slayer, and you can't really have either of us."

"Buffy has been there when … when, I really needed someone. Call it a crush, a first love, I don't … I don't know … what I feel for her. She's … so … amazing but … so are you Kate."

Buffy stepped from behind the rock and into view of Kate and William. "You may be all of sixteen but you have grown up a lot lately Will. You have been pretty much a little stud-muffin between servicing Kate and I." Buffy crossed her arms as she approached the two of them.

Harmony lagged back, intrigued with the gossip. _"I wish I still had friends to tell all this juicy stuff to,"_ she thought. She decided to grab Tyler who was just emerging from the woods and tell him.

William looked at Buffy with pleading eyes, "Buffy, I, I don't mean to hurt you all, honest!" He took a couple steps toward Buffy with outstretched arms. "I don't want to hurt anyone," he repeated again.

"You've had a great time it seems," Kate said as she approached William. This time it was not tenderness in her voice. "You've had your way with me a couple times, and then you run to her." Kate's eyes glared toward Buffy.

"And … I … we … have shared … some things between us too Will. I should not have let it happen." Buffy's voice seemed cold and distant.

"Buffy, it just happened. It, it was natural." William knew that was not a good comeback.

Can't you see, it's wrong and … I … I should know better. I'm the adult." Buffy's voice betrayed the stress and hurt she was feeling.

"And I'm the monster William. Its' not right with me either," Kate said. "But I think I can solve the problem for you," Kate said with a curious tone.

Huh? What do you mean?" William looked at her with dread, thinking that she was going to cuss him out and walk off again.

Instead, Kate walked over to Buffy. Her eyes flashed blue and her fangs extended. "Do what you gotta do," is all Kate said.

Buffy just stood there, looking at Kate for a second. "You know you can't win so what I'm guessing … that you're trying to commit suicide?"

Kate hit Buffy across the face, knocking Buffy several feet back toward the rock. She came at Buffy and swung for her head but Buffy blocked it.

"If you were looking to get me mad, you got your wish." Buffy came down with a hammer-fist on Kate's collarbone; driving Kate to her knees.

"Oh sodden no! Stop it! Stop it!" William ran to the two girls and was promptly pushed back by Kate.

"Is that all you got Slayer? I sorta expected more, you know, given your advanced years," Kate said sarcastically as she forcefully jumped straight up twenty feet in the air and landing on the big rock. Kate's jump had knocked Buffy to the ground beside the rock. Kate quickly jumped down off the rock and waited for Buffy's next move.

Buffy got to her feet and walked toward Kate, who was in a fighting stance, slightly bouncing on the balls of her feet like a prize fighter. Kate threw a punch, Buffy blocked it and threw two back at Kate knocking her to the ground. As Kate started to stand back up, Buffy sent a roundhouse kick to Kate's head. Kate went sailing into the big rock nearby.

Buffy approached a wobbly but standing Kate. Buffy noticed that Kate's electric blue eyes had lost a little of their color. Kate swung wildly, easily missing Buffy. Buffy however connected an elbow across Kate's jaw, sending the young girl back against the rock and then slumping to the ground below, blood dripping from Kate's mouth.

"Will you two bloody gits stop it! Stop fighting! Please!" William screamed as he grabbed Buffy's arm.

Buffy spun around, holding Kate's limp body by the throat. "Will, she's a vampire! She wants to die and I want to help her with that little project."

All Will could say was, "No!"

Harmony came around the rock with a smile on her face and stood just a few feet away from the scene. She answered Buffy's look with, "Hey, I like violence, just wanna watch. Don't mind me."

Buffy pulled back her hand into a fist aimed for Kate's face. A whimpering little voice whispered, "Do it." Just then a sharp pain ran through Buffy's lower areas. It felt like mega cramps. She let go of Kate who seemed to be experiencing the exact same feeling. Both women dropped to their knees holding their stomach and lower area.

Harmony just stood there with William and Tyler looking at the two women who were in obvious female distress. "Uh … I think I have some pills back in the car if you need'em, not that I'm going back through the woods alone looking for them," Harmony offered. "Not that I need them anymore but it makes people think I am more human you know."

Buffy felt the surges of pain squeeze her tighter and release and squeeze your tight again and release. Both Buffy and Kate fell to the ground in a fetal position, clutching their midsections.

"What's going on? Wh … what's wrong?" William asked, clearly astonished at their distress.

"Hell … of a … time," Buffy began, "for that time … of the month." She let out a rather unladylike grunt as she tried to stagger to her feet.

Instantly she was knocked to the ground by some hairy horned looking creature. It was all over her. All Buffy could do was to let out a muffled, "help."

Of all people, Harmony came to the rescue first. She pulled the demon off Buffy. It struggled free and leaped on Kate, oddly biting at her crotch.

"What the bloody hell is that thing?" William exclaimed as he kicked it with the all the force he could muster. His efforts only disrupted the beast for an instant. Looking at Tyler, who held the only weapon, the shotgun, William yelled, "SHOOT IT!"

Tyler tried to take aim but too many people were in the way.

It bit into Kate with brutality causing her to scream. She pulled the thing's head away from her groin and tried to bring up a knee between it and her.

Harmony grabbed it again and pulled it off the young girl. Harmony had learned a few moves in her time and quickly punched the thing in the face as she threw it to the ground. It sprung back up, knocking Harmony over as it leaped onto Buffy this time.

Her cramps subsiding, she had enough time to bring her legs up to her chest and kick as the demon landed on her. It went flying firming back into the rock, giving Buffy time to struggle to her feet. William was right there to pull her up.

Harmony hit the creature as it came off the rock, slamming it backward. She threw two more punches that connected solidly. Her third strike hit one of the creature's horns, cutting her hand. "Ouch, ouch … ooowwweee!" She yelped. The thing struck back, throwing Harmony out of the way.

A shot rang out knocking the thing down, grabbing its leg. The creature's florescent blue blood splattered Buffy and Kate. Tyler racked another round in the shotgun and took aim but Buffy was all over the thing.

Buffy and the creature began rolling around on the ground, Buffy doing her best to kill the thing while it seemed to want to still bite her lower areas. Buffy could taste something bitter in the corners of her mouth, she knew it was blood; she could only pray the thing was not infected.

Buffy caught her breath as the beast was pulled off of her by Kate who was looking rather unsteady but had a blue vengeance in her eyes. Kate grabbed the creature's wounded leg and threw the creature face first into the rock. Kate hit the creature twice as hard as she could before she was joined by Harmony who grabbed its head and rammed it several times into the rock. When Harmony let go, the thing collapsed to the ground, dead.

"What is it?" Buffy pulled herself up and started walking over to where it was at. When nobody answer, she looked at Tyler, "Come on, you gotta know. You have been answer guy of late."

"That, was a demon." Tyler replied.

"You're spot on with that answer mate." William shot back.

"Uh … what kind is what I meant," Buffy questioned again, inspecting herself for injuries and looking for blood to wipe off.

Turning the demon over so he could full see it, Tyler studied the features for a minute. The wrinkly disfigured skin, the horns, hairy arms, rows or small razor sharp teeth …, "I think it's … it's … Durthok the child-eater."

"Dirty-Cloth the Child eater? That's just gross," Buffy said, wrinkling up her nose. A worried look came over her face. "Wh … why do you think he attacked us? Think he's infected? I might have gotten some of his blood in my mouth!" She walked up to William, "Do my eyes look normal?"

Tyler had a slightly worried look on his face, "From what I know of them, they are rare. They have a power to make certain women … well … you felt it. He didn't seem infected as much as he did … hungry."

"Those were some massive crams. I say we rename him the crampy demon," Buffy said with a pout.

"It stops his lunch from running away I guess," Kate added. Her eyes and teeth back to her human appearance. Kate walked over and put a friendly arm around Buffy's neck.

"Another joy of being a vampire," Harmony beamed. "No monthly visit from mother nature." Then a confused look came across Harmony's brow as she turned toward Kate, "Uh, you had cramps? You can't have cramps? You're a vampire."

William was certain that Buffy would be going for the next round with Kate's arm hanging around Buffy's neck but, oddly enough, Buffy didn't seem to mind too much. Buffy even locked her arm around Kate's waist. Both women just grinned at each other, chatting slightly just under William's ability to hear them.

"Oh, yeah … the blood," Buffy asked Tyler amid slight giggles with Kate. "I had it all over me and now it's gone. What's up with that?" Buffy and Kate, still hanging all over each other, turned and both started slowly walking toward the wood line. Everyone else followed behind them.

William fell back to Tyler and Harmony so he could press Buffy's question. "Yeah, something's wonky here. One minute Buffy and Kate are fighting to the death, now they're best of chums. What happened to them?" William indicated to the two happy giggling girls walking just thirty paces in front of him.

"The blood of a Durthok absorbs into the skin and has a slightly euphoric affect on women. That is one reason why they are so rare. They are hunted because their blood is an aphrodisiac of sorts."

William thought for a second, "Wow! So they are killed because their blood is like a happy pill?"

"That … and they have rather socially unacceptable eating habits," Tyler responded as they walked. "That one had likely not fed since this infection broke out. Their diets are very specific."

"How so, I mean, he eats children for God's sake," William countered.

Not just any children. They have to be very, very fresh, young. They actually prefer babies only a few days old. Durthoks will also eat those going through the first month or two of puberty. They are not interested in women much past twelve or thirteen. I guess they can sense the changes or something. Once I heard …"

William cut him off. "Puberty, bollocks to that? Buffy's thirty and Kate's' past puberty too. Anyway, she's a vampire! What you said doesn't make sense."

"Nope, no sense at all," Harmony chimed in, eavesdropping on the conversation.

"Yes," Tyler began, carefully choosing his words, "Kate is definitely a vampire." Tyler hesitated.

William signed, "Yeah, so … why did he try to eat Buffy and Kate and not bloody Harmony here?"

"William my boy, there are five distinct types of vampires and about a dozen variants off of those types. Harmony's kind have a technical name but most in the business refer to them as 'dusters' because they turn to …," again cut off, this time by Harmony.

Harmony scowled, "I know how we die. Can you just skip to the juicy stuff?"

Tyler continued, "Kate's type is commonly referred to as 'Underworlds'. Underworld vampires can … and do … get pregnant. It is unheard of for a vampire of less than fifty or sixty years but I've heard that …," cut off by William this time.

"Whoa! Wait a bloody minute." William grabbed Tyler's and spun him around. "Kate was …? That is damn impossible!"

"That's another thing I love about being dead … can't get pregnant," Harmony again chimed in.

"Not only Kate … Buffy too," Tyler said with a seriousness William had not heard from him before. "One of the demon's powers is to force a painful spontaneous natural miscarriage so that he can eat the newborn." Tyler paused to give his words time to sink in with William. "Since the cramps were so brief, I would assume that the pregnancies had just occurred, likely barely implanted I would think."

William's mouth fell open as he released Tyler's arm. "I … I can't … believe," his words faded.

Harmony started bouncing up and down clapping her hands. Although William could barely speak, Harmony had no such problem. Her words came bubbling out. "William got Buffy and Kate preggers!"

.

**A/N**: This is one of the little revelations I had been working the storyline up to for some time.


	9. Chapter 9

**CH: 9 **

**Heading in the right direction**

Buffy and Kate both stopped dead in their tracks at the edge of the wood line, hastily turning loose of each other and whirling around to face Harmony. Of course, Harmony quickly stopped chattering and decided to slink in behind Tyler for safety.

Buffy swiftly walked back to where Tyler and William were standing while Kate remained where she and Buffy had stopped in their tracks. It was clear to Tyler that Buffy had a rather serious look on her face. She walked up to, and slightly past Tyler, stepping around him easily to grab Harmony by the wrist. "Uh … say what?"

William jumped in as well with a statement and a question directed at Tyler, "Th, that can't be right. How could it?"

Looking angrily at Harmony, Buffy protested, "I have never been pregnant in my life! Anyway, I take birth control and …," Buffy realized that she had been off of her daily pill since the infection broke out weeks ago. It dawned on her that she left the pill box on her nightstand at the castle before she left for London to search for Giles and Faith.

"I can only tell you what I believe to be the truth," Tyler said with a slightly worried look on his face as he turned and faced Buffy.

"What would you know about that stuff anyway?" Buffy complained. "That, that, demon, Dirty-Cloth guy, he, he, could have just as likely been infected … or … or crazy or something!" Buffy was starting to breath hard. "Just because he tried to eat my pants off me doesn't mean I was ever …," she trailed off. After a few quiet seconds, she simply concluded, "That's impossible. You don't know!"

"He DOES have a degree in that stuff if you recall him saying." Harmony offered with half hearted grin at the same time as she removed her wrist from Buffy's trembling grip. Harmony then moved back to a safer position behind Tyler.

"From the University of Phoenix online program," Tyler added. "I wrote a paper on child-eaters … you know … Trolls, Carbak demons, Durthoks, and such."

"I see," Buffy softly responded in a low voice with her head hanging low.

"Not to mention, I am a demon and demons do know a few things about … well … other demons."

"But … I'm a vampire … VAM-PI-ER," Kate emphasized strongly. I can't get pregnant for like … a zillion years?" Kate had walked up to the group, still somewhat in shock as to what she had heard.

"It is very possible and it seems to be very likely that both of you ladies were recently impregnated. It is not my thought as to how or whom. I am just telling you what I know." Tyler shifted his weight as both the Slayer and a VERY distressed looking vampire stared at him intently.

"But …," William uttered, then stopped short, with nothing else to say. That single word was enough to cause all eyes to slowly turn toward him. Buffy and Kate frown at him with the contempt of a cheated woman in their eyes.

Harmony broke the silence of the moment by saying what was dawning on everyone's mind, "Damn it! William has been getting more action than me! That's not fair."

"I don't believe it! There is no bloody way that they are … were … pregnant." William took a step back away from the rest of the group.

Buffy marched up to William and stopped with her face just a few inches from his. Through gritted teeth she whispered, "You were having sex with … both of us?" She knew the answer, as most women do, before she even asked the question of him.

"Buffy … I … I, mean I …," William stammered. He reached up to put his hand on her shoulder but she rapidly pulled away.

"Don't you touch me," she said to William through gritted teeth. He could see she started to clinch and unclench her fist.

William instinctively flinched at the thought and took a few short steps backward. He bumped into Kate who was glaring at him from behind. Finally, he bucked up, told himself to _"be British, stiff upper lip and all."_ He found the courage to say, "Are you gonna bloody hit me? If you are, get on with it then."

Buffy stare angrily at him for a few lingering seconds just to intimidate him. "No, I'm not going to hit you. I knew what I was doing when … we …," with that, Buffy stepped back over to Tyler just as Kate spoke up.

"Buffy is too kind. She may not hit you, but I am one jealous bitch!" Kate knew better than to use all her strength for fear of breaking something so she decided to use just enough strength to get the point across. Her open hand connected with William's cheek with blinding speed and accuracy. The sound of the slap made even Harmony winch in sympathy. William hit the ground and tumbled over to where Buffy and Tyler were standing.

William took it like a man, without as much as a whimper or yelp. However, he decided to stay on the ground for a minute or two to recover and ensure Kate did not plan on hitting him again.

Turning to Tyler, Buffy said, "Okay, from the top, tell me all you know about this Dirty-cloth guy and why he was trying to bite me."

"As you wish, but may I suggest we do it as we walk back toward the vehicle. We are outside, at night, in an area over-run with infected." Tyler stated.

"You have a good point." Buffy reached down and took William's hand and easily pulled him to his feet with such force that he slightly bumped into her chest. The smile on her face confused William a bit.

As they carefully walked through the woods, Tyler related to Buffy and Kate everything he had told William and the prying ears of Harmony earlier.

When Tyler finished, Buffy ask, "How do you know that … that … thing just wasn't roaming around looking to eat people in general?"

"As I said before, his diet is very specific. Durthok the child-eater can sense pregnant women and force a spontaneous miscarriage. Obviously, the creature prefers a more developed fetus … or new born. His attack on you two happened out of hunger and desperation" Tyler explained with a cold monotone to his voice.

"Sounds like the big baddy should be called Dirty-cloth the baby-eater if that's his diet," Buffy said as she reached over and put a finger in Kate's belt loop.

Tyler answered her question although somewhat distracted by Buffy and Kate's nonchalant demeanor as they picked their way through the forest heading back to the car. "Uh, well, he also likes to eat the reproductive organs of young virgins within a few months of puberty."

"Gross," is all Buffy said.

Kate chimed in, "I still say there is no way I was knocked up. As far as my kind of vampires go, I 'm a baby vampire. I can't get prego."

"That is a unique dilemma that I cannot fully explain," Tyler replied.

"Yeah vamps don't get pregnant. More importantly, you never answered my question about the blood. I got splattered but it is all gone now. What gives?" Buffy's last part of the sentence was said amid her and Kate giggling again as they glibly made fun of each other for being pregnant.

As they stepped out of the wood line into the office parking lot, they saw several infected milling around the car. Instinctively they all eased back into the wood line and crouched down. The serious moment seemed to snap Buffy out of her euphoric attitude for a moment. Blinking hard a couple times she eased closer to Tyler. Kate was at her side as well.

"Okay, something is WAY not right here," Buffy said in a matter of fact tone. "Tyler, before I start getting giddy again, let me have it plain and simple. What's going on with me?"

"And me too," Kate chimed in.

"Ladies," he began, "I have been trying to tell you."

"Well, you have my attention right now and before we are in another fight for our lives, I would really like to know what is going on." Buffy practically growled at him in a whisper to avoid any chance that the distant infected would hear her.

Tyler spoke hurriedly, "The demon likely tracked you somehow. It sensed that you were both pregnant so he attacked. It is what he does. He induced a miscarriage likely hopeful that you would produce some morsel for him to eat."

Buffy quickly questioned further, "And this weird happy trip I am on …?"

"When his blood touched your skin, you fell under the magical power of the demons blood," Tyler confirmed. "It creates a kind of euphoric effect so the victim does not go running off to her village and report the attack. It is a defense mechanism for the creature.

"How convenient," Buffy scowled.

"Uh … yes, however danger or distress dispels the effort for awhile. The Durthok wants you to keep your wits about you so you can survive to become pregnant again."

"I say damn good plan the bloody thing has going for itself," William added. "Something like a squirrel planting nuts for the winter."

"Yes," Tyler added. "Once a Durthok's blood is in you, you are marked. All Durthoks can track you. It is like a scent you give off that only they can detect.

Kate looked confused, "But he found us in the woods and I don't know about the rest of you but I've never met one of those ugly disgusting creatures!"

"Maybe you were drugged by the pill form of his blood. Drug dealers sell it to the rich and influential," Tyler offered. It would actually look like a blue sugar cube.

A look of astonishment came across Kate's face. "Hey … wait a minute." She looked as if she had seen a ghost. "The guy who sired me … when I first woke up … changed … I remember a voice telling someone to prepare me for the party. He … he gave be a large wine glass of blood but I remember him dropping something big and … BLUE in it!"

"The creature's crystallized blood is very concentrated and very, very expensive," Tyler added. "That would explain how the Durthok tracked us. He could sense Kate."

"Maybe … that night … the night I became a vampire … it was a blur." She started to well tears up in her eyes. "I … did things … willingly … that I would never have done if I were alive. I thought … I … I … felt so … dirty," She started crying with an intensity that made William think she might attract unwanted attention from the distant infected. He pulled her into his arms and let her hide her face in his shirt.

After a moment passed so Buffy could focus her attention back on the conversation, Tyler continued, "As Kate alluded; you will become very … amorous within a day or so. The Durthok's blood creates a growing drive for the victim to mate … and … become pregnant."

"Okay, so it's going to make me happy and horny is all?" Buffy shot him a quizzical look before she glanced back at the infected still milling around in the distance. "I think a cold shower and all can handle that. Worst case, I can take care of … things … MYSELF," Buffy emphasized as she shot an evil eye toward William.

"You don't yet fully understand, you see you must …," Tyler was interrupted by two figures coming out of the wood line just fifty yards away. They were infected … and they saw Buffy, Harmony, Tyler, William and Kate in the shadows of the tree line.

The two new arrivals started running toward them. Tyler brought the shotgun up to his shoulder and quickly took aim and fired twice, killing the attackers but now alerting the four others that were in the distance, over by the car.

Armed with an assortment of large sticks and stones, Buffy, Kate, and Tyler waited for the four infected to cover the distance across the parking lot to where Buffy and the group stood. Harmony and William stayed in the back as a second echelon in case anyone needed help.

Faintly in the distance Buffy thought she heard a series of barely audible gun shots. She strained to try to make out where they were coming from but she could not quite tell. That concern soon departed when she noticed some kind of movement from the side of the office building near the car. A black van started speeding toward them.

"Look! Someone's still alive around here!" William exclaimed.

"Yeah, unless the infected remember how to drive cars," Harmony said with more than a little worry in her voice. "Of course, if they did start driving cars, that would be really bad for us," she added.

It was going to be a race. Would the van get there before the group of infected? Everyone stood and waited to see what would happen. The four infected attackers where within a hundred feet when the van seemed to accelerate, coming up slightly on two wheels for a second as it turned toward them.

Buffy readied herself for the attack but the van, luckily, got there first. All four of the attackers were hit solid by the van. Three fell under its wheels. One, a man in his fifties, bounced off the drivers mirror and tumbled to the ground. Before the he could get up, Buffy's foot came down on his neck. With a thrust and a twist, she heard his neck break and he went limp.

The van screeched to a halt and quickly went into reverse, expelling the remains of two of the other three infected. The van stopped again right in front of Buffy and the group.

The driver's door opened and out stepped a young British Soldier. He had a scruffy face, bright blue eyes and looked no more than twenty. "Move along quickly and get in the carriage. Those things are everywhere," he said.

Buffy and the rest of the group did not need a second invitation. They quickly moved toward the van. Buffy slowed down only long enough to ask the young Soldier, "Who are you?"

Regrettably the young man did not get a chance to answer. Everyone but Buffy was loaded in the van when the Soldier screamed out in pain, hobbled a few steps and fell to the ground convulsing. The badly mutilated, but still barely alive, forth infected attacker had reached out from under the van and took a sizable bite out of the Soldier's leg.

Upon hearing the screaming Soldier, William jumped out of the van's still open side door. He was armed with a tire iron he found immediately upon entering the van. Just as he hit the ground Buffy grabbed the tire iron out of his hand and drove it through the skull of the mutilated infected attacker trying to crawl out from under the van.

Instinctively, she stood up, leaned forward and thrust hard with a back kick, catching the now infected Soldier firmly in the chest with her foot. He fell backward, rolled a couple of times and quickly got back on his feet. Buffy noticed his beautiful blue eyes were now blood red.

He had no sooner started to run toward her when she grabbed the tire iron from the head of the dead infected man still half under the van. She threw it with flawless Slayer accuracy, burying the tool deep into the Soldier's chest. He fell, dead, to the ground about ten feet from her.

William was positioned in the doorway of the van waving frantically at Buffy, "Are ya staying for tea and crumpets? Come on, lets go!"

Buffy jumped in the vehicle as Harmony slid in behind the wheel. William closed the door and the van started to move. They rode in silence for a couple minutes. Harmony made several slow loops around the perimeter of the parking lot.

Finally Harmony broke the silence, "Uh, guys, I don't mind driving but … where to?"

"Back to the car," Buffy said with steel determination. "Let do what we came here to do."

Within a few minutes the van was parked next to the car and everybody was looking around for weapons and things. William recovered his rifle. Harmony grabbed a large machete that was under the driver's seat in the van. Buffy grabbed a trusty ball bat from the car and Kate found the Soldier's rifle in the van. They were set.

As they stood in the parking lot between the car and the van waiting for Harmony to check her hair in the van's rearview mirror, Kate pondered aloud, "Why do you think a Soldier was out this late just driving around in a van?" Her fear and the nervousness of the resent fight had her more focused. She was not looking forward to becoming giddy and goofy again under the effects of the Durthok demon.

"Good question," William replied.

"The place is all some super secret military base. Maybe he was on his way to work or something," Harmony offered as she stepped out of the van, every hair back in place.

"Are you just pretending, or are you really that dumb?" Buffy shot Harmony an obvious stink eye.

"I could be right you know. Maybe he lives around here," Harmony responded.

"Harmony … you just may have a point," Buffy said aloud. "I am sure it is clearly by accident," she added. "The Soldier likely came out of the building we want to get into. He likely is stationed there. It's his job."

"He came out for a reason," William stated firmly

"Maybe a smoke break or something," Harmony offered.

"Maybe there is some work he had to perform, perhaps a mission or a task." Tyler offered as a possible reason for the Soldier's timely arrival with the van a few minutes earlier. "I doubt he took the risk just to save us."

"Whatever the job he came out to do, needless to say, he's AWOL now." Buffy started looking in the direction of the building. "Maybe we can find how he got out of the building. If he can come out, we can get in." After a few seconds for the thought to sink in with everybody, she added, "Lets go, we're burning moonlight."

The group silently started off toward the office building together in a tight group, equally for emotional support as well as defense. They continued up the dark, cement walkway toward the main doors of the building. All were ready for any sudden ambush of raging infected. An overturned Army truck along with barricades blocked the front doors. William sighed, tapping his gun thoughtfully against his thigh. "So what do we do?" he asked. "How can we get through this mess?"

Glancing around, Buffy said, "A side or backdoor."

"Sure thing luv, we're just gonna wander round and happen upon a back door. If that Soldier came out of here surely his mates sealed the place back up tighter than Buckingham Palace."

She rolled her eyes. "That's supposed to be tighter than Fort Knox."

William looked at her questioningly, "huh."

"The thing you just said … it's Fort Knox and not the Ham Palace." Buffy nudged him to start walking around to the side of the building.

As they walked around the building perimeter Tyler kept the shotgun ready to blast the first thing that moved. William inched up ahead of Buffy and disappeared around the side of the building without so much as a glance back to her. Buffy frowned. Even though she had thought of William as an equal partner in this fight, sometimes the impulsive kid in him would just come out at the worst possible moments. Checking quickly for any sign of approaching infected and seeing none, Buffy and the others followed William around the corner of the building.

Tyler quickened his pace to come along side of Buffy as they walked around the building. "Buffy, I did not finish telling you about the Durthok demon. There is something important you should know.

"I got it already. I'm gonna be a little giddy and get a little frisky for a few days. Nothing I can't handle. Me and Mr. Fingers have become really good friends over the years," she replied back to a slightly startled Tyler. "Geeez, did I just say that?" Buffy blushed all of the sudden as she realized what she had just said.

"Uh … no … you don't exactly understand," Tyler continued, "you will need to …," Buffy cut him off.

"There! See that? That is our way in!" Buffy pointed to a loosely board window on the second floor of the building. She had been the first to see it, "Now all we need is a big ladder or something."

"Buffy," Tyler tried to restart the conversation with her but she started barking out directions and orders. He could not seem to get her attention.

"Tyler, you stand by that tree over there. Make sure nothing sneaks up on us from that direction."

Before he could say anything else she was walking off with William on another task.

Around ten minutes later, they had the van pulled up to a spot just under the window with the loose board. Buffy and William climbed on top of the van while the others kept lookout for any possible trouble. From the van's roof they could pull and pry at the plywood covering the second floor window. So far, it appeared to be the best way into the building that they had found.

The wood groaned and cracked as William and Buffy worked together to pry the large sheet of plywood off of one of the window along the backside of the building. This had appeared to be the weakest of the coverings but was proving rather difficult to remove. Buffy had utilized a hand axe from the van as a makeshift crowbar. She still needed a little more leverage.

One end of the wood finally popped up, and the plywood came loose from the window frame, revealing a badly cracked window that led to a dark room. From what she could see, it looked like a laboratory. Bringing the axe up like a baseball bat, Buffy swung the blunt end against the glass. It easily shattered.

"Geez girl! Noisy much!" William exclaimed, not expecting such a loud crack.

Buffy dropped the axe to her side and said, "There we go. That wasn't too hard. Almost like an easy button," she added, somewhat amused by her own joke.

"Yeah, but anybody in a kilometer knows we're here." William seemed a little shaken by the loud noise of breaking glass more than anything else. After being so quiet for so long, this just came as a surprise.

"Get down there with the others. Move the van away from the window so it can't be used by the infected to climb up. I'll find something to pull you all up." Buffy moved forward to climb through, but William stopped her. "No. I'll go first … just in case. Anyway, I got the gun."

Touching his arm gently, she said, "William, I am still the Slayer and I can handle whatever might be in there. It's what I've been doing since I was your age." Her look told him that her mind was made up. "I need to get back to being the Slayer. I have felt like a victim way too long.

Buffy had started to work past the oppressive gloom that had gripped her life since the infection began, since she lost all of her friends and loved ones except for Dawn. She had to admit to herself that the Durthok's blood did seem to make her feel better emotionally.

Rolling his eyes, he stepped aside and climbed down off the van. William thought that even though he seemed to be trying to play the part of protectorate, Buffy couldn't appreciate it. _"After all, __she __is the almighty Slayer and I am just … a teen playing at being an adult."_ William felt about as rejected as ever until he saw Kate standing near the van. _"Maybe she still appreciates me."_

Buffy put the axe down and picked up her preferred weapon, a ball bat. The blood splatter incident awhile back made an axe a little too risky for her. Holding the bat in one hand, she climbed through the window getting in a fighter's stance as her feet touched the floor. Standing in silence in the dark room, Buffy could hear her friends moving around outside, waiting for her to drop down a rope or something to pull them up. She started checking for any hidden surprises. The room was dark but she could see enough to make her way to a computer work station. She could use an extension cord as a rope.

Then she heard a door open and close, she crouched behind the desk and froze. Either there was a survivor that had stumbled into the room to check the noise or this was going to swiftly go downhill. Whoever it was, moved quickly to the broken window. When the dark figure had past the desk were Buffy was hiding, Buffy swept their legs out from under them with the bat and sprang to her feet. Buffy grabbed whoever it was around the neck. Letting the bat drop to the floor, Buffy flipped her opponent across the room where the figure hit the wall and crumpled to the ground, motionless.

Buffy ran over to the window and hurriedly whispered "Hey, you guys still there?"

No response.

"Will, Will?"

Still … no answer.

.

**A/N:** Sorry for the short delay in writing and correcting my errors, I've had a really rough 2012 Thank you all who have made my story their fav and thanks to all those who R&R!


	10. Chapter 10

**CH: 10**

**.**

**Durthok's Revenge **

.

"Buffy!"

"About time you answered," she whispered back loudly, from the window. Inwardly, she sighed in relief.

William stood with the others directly under the window, "What's taking you so long up there?"

"Hang on a minute," Buffy said.

In short order she had tied two electrical cords together and dropped the end down to waiting team below. Each one in turn stepped up to the cord and held on. Buffy pulled them up with ease and offered a hand to help each one climb through the window.

Kate was the first to notice and ask the obvious question, "Hey, who's that on the floor?"

"Oh," Buffy replied with a slight smile on her face, "that is what took me so long."

About the time they were all finally standing in the darkened room, they all heard something outside in the hall. Buffy glanced around the room, looking again for somewhere to spring her next attack. She and William settled for a hiding place behind a nearby desk while the others clamored to various corners of the room. They waited in complete silence.

After a short wait … and no other noise coming from the hall … Buffy decided to check out who or what she had thrown against the wall earlier. Now that her eyes had adjusted to the lower light level in the room she could see that she had slammed someone in a military uniform into the wall.

"Is she dead," William asked.

"I hope not," Buffy said with a worried look. "The military doesn't like me too well already. Beating them up or killing an innocent person would be very bad!" Buffy was relieved to feel a pulse on the female Soldier's neck and see her chest rise and fall with several breaths. "Chances are she will have a heck of a headache in the morning but otherwise, she's okay I think."

"Should we leave her here?" William's expression told Buffy that there I only one correct answer.

"I guess not," Buffy offered in a humorous but sarcastic way. Buffy started to haul the unconscious girl onto her Shoulders when she heard the unmistakable sound of a gunshot somewhere down the hall. First one shot echoed in the hall then, three more shots in rapid succession followed.

Buffy dropped the girl to the floor just before she swung open the door to the hallway. Out of nowhere Tyler was beside her with the shotgun in hand. For a demon, he was becoming rather handy to have around. She needed to take the time to get to know more about him.

"Buffy, we still need to take about the Durthok demon." Tyler wanted to get her attention. What he had to say was important. She just needed to know about what the Durthok actually did to her.

"Not now Tyler," is all she said. "Later, I promise."

The hall was dark but she could see something going on down at the other end of the building. The power, and therefore the lights, was shut off but the glow of a flashlight or a lantern of some sort cast a faint glow at the end of the hallway.

Buffy thought for a minute then said, "Until we know what's out there, I think we better leave sleepy girl here. Put her behind the desk in the corner so she can't be seen." With that, Buffy and Tyler slowly stepped out into the hallway.

When William and Kate had the unconscious female Soldier hidden behind a desk, they also stepped out into the darkened hallway and slowly crept toward the light at the far end.

Although Harmony was the last to step into the hallway behind Kate, she was the first to notice the smell. Kate immediately began sniffing the air as well. The metallic smell of blood hung in the air.

On closer look further down the dim hallway, the two vampires quickly noticed the blood dripping off the walls. A ring of dripping blood had formed on the ceiling showing the massive carnage that must have happened on the next floor above.

Walking slowly, Buffy noticed the dripping blood at the other end of the hall. She thought that Harmony and Kate looked like dogs in heat as the smell of blood hit their senses.

.

A little further down the hall, Royal Air Force Major Gavin Marks stumbled out of the stairwell into the soft light of the lantern his team had left behind to light the way. He sobbing uncontrollably, wiping blindly at the bloodstains on his tattered uniform, and dropping his handgun as he tried to holster it. How he managed to stay alive this long was a mystery to him, but it seemed, now, that his luck had finally run out.

His team had tried to reach the backup systems electrical panel on the third floor when he had been viciously attacked by the people who had once occupied the nearby offices. Although he was not bitten or splattered with infected blood, he managed to sustain serious injury. The attackers were swift and aggressive. They had decimated his repair party in minutes. When the fighting ended, only he was left standing. Judging from the amount of his own blood on his uniform, Major Marks figured that his wounds would soon add his name to list of the dead.

The Major buckled to the floor, the brutality of his wounds stopping him from going any further. Blood was everywhere … soaking into his pants, socks, shoes. It pooled on the floor under him. A burning pain accompanied every beat of his heart. He could not help but think about how all this started just a month ago … back when his life was normal. Right now, as he lay bleeding on the floor, all he wished for was a normal life again.

Laying there, his mind began to race again with panicked thoughts of death. He began to wonder about the mission. If he could just get the power on to the sub-levels maybe, somehow, all this could end. Maybe it could all be made right again. They had all this potential to change things but without power, all their special machines and tools and gadgets were useless.

Back down the hallway Harmony and Kate were now out in front of Buffy and the others. They saw the Major at the end of a darkened hallway before Buffy could make out what was laying on the floor. With weapons in hand, the two vampires carefully made their way toward the fallen Major.

As Tyler, William and Buffy came closer they could see the look of hunger on Kate and Harmony. William thought it an odd expression until he looked down at the major.

Walking up in the dim light, William couldn't see at first that the man was hurt. "Hey mate, are you … good Lord!" William exclaimed.

Walking up behind William, Buffy gasped for an instant. She was more started by the sight of all the blood on the floor than anything else. Kneeling down, she said, "Is there anything we can do for you? We're here to help." She instinctively took his hand in hers and held it tight.

Struggling to catch his breath, Major Marks fought back his sobs long enough to collect his thoughts. He started to breathe in sobbing gasps, the tears returning at the thought of death. "The power grid," he choked, his vision dimming and blurring at the same time.

Summoning the last bit of strength from his aching, spent body, he pulled himself upright using Buffy as best he could for a counter-balance. He looked her in the eyes and tried to speak but blood gurgled deep in his lungs. He swallowed hard several times trying to clear his throat.

"Mister, I don't know what to do for you. Is there some way … I can help?" Buffy felt his grief and pain. She had seen so much death in her time but it still touched her heart to see human life fade away. This man was struggling so hard to live even when he knew the battle was soon coming to an end.

"Name's … Major … Marks," he coughed several times before he could speak again. Then, with an oddly peaceful and resolute look on his face, he said, "Small group … survivors … trapped on sub-level … t-t-two." After another coughing fit he continued, "We are … trying to … to get power … must open … security door." The strain was too much and the Major collapsed once more, crying out in pain when he couldn't pull himself back up to face Buffy and the others.

Harmony flashed into her vampire face and back out twice without drawing anyone's attention. Finally she joined Kate against a far wall. Kate knew she would have a hard time resisting so she walked away immediately after Buffy arrived at the man's side. The hunger was almost overwhelming for them. Kate was trying her very level best to hold on to what little humanity she had left. Harmony was less heroic. She knew that if she touched the major, Buffy would dust her in an instant. For Harmony, it was a simple matter of surviving the Slayer.

After a few seconds of writhing in pain and coughing up blood, Major Marks spoke once again, this time closer to a whisper. "Ba-back-up generator … working … must run through the power box on floor three. We ... we were …," he trailed off and started to mumble.

"Buffy, if there are survivors, we gotta do something," William said with compassion in his voice. "Think we can get the power on and rescue the blokes?"

"Definitely, sounds like we just need to find a big button that says 'ON' and we're in business." Buffy sounded more sarcastic than she actually meant to be.

"It would be a logical conclusion that the young Soldier girl back in the laboratory room might know where or how to restore the power," Tyler offered.

"That is if she forgives you for beating her up," William added.

The Major coughed and closed his eyes. He started to pray for a peaceful end. Within a few seconds, as Buffy held his hand, his prayer was answered.

Buffy, William and Tyler led the way back down the hall to the room with the still unconscious female Soldier. Kate and Harmony lingered behind long enough for an unseen taste of the major. They managed to catch up by the time Buffy and the others reached the lab again.

After a few minutes of reviving … reviving again … coaxing, explaining and apologizing Buffy had a shaky Private Ashley Dubois on her feet.

"How the bloody hell am I suppose to lead you anywhere with my head pounding like a base drum?" Private Dubois had obviously not totally forgiven Buffy for the concussion. "I bet I have bloody traumatic brain injury from this. Who the hell are you people anyways?"

It must have been the fact that she had just tasted the Major or something but Kate seemed to have a moment of lucidity from her blood lust. She spoke up and clarified the situation for the private. "Look, one of your leaders just died out there trying to help some of your fellow military people get the power on or something like that. We are here to help. Now either you're with us or you can grumble about your headache all night and your friends can die. What's your choice?"

Buffy and everyone else in the room looked at Kate in surprise. That was the most Buffy had ever heard the girl string together in one breath since they met. Buffy thought, "_Something made Kate rather spunky all of the sudden."_

"I guess I'll help, rather than you prattling around the hallways looking for trouble," the private said with reservation in her voice. "We were trying hook up the power box on the next floor. One of our people went out to turn on the generator at the standby facility a couple kilometers from here. If we're successful at getting power restored to the sub-levels … we can rescue the rest of our team and continue the proj … I mean, then they will be safe."

"Well, you're gonna need a new guy to go turn on the power," Buffy said with a frown.

The Soldier ask quickly, "Why's that?"

"If he was using a van to get there … just take my word for it, I don't think he made it." Buffy left the thought with the female Soldier for a minute before asking the question that was really weighing on her mind. As the girl silently mourned the loss of another fellow Soldier, Buffy finally asked, "What, exactly, is this place?"

"It is a government … personnel office," the Soldier replied with hesitation.

"I doubt that," Buffy said. "Wanna try again before I put you back to sleep?"

With reservation in her eyes, she simply replied, "It is a government research facility."

Buffy pressed for more. "Researching what, exactly?"

"I don't know," the Soldier replied.

"Nap time for you then." Buffy pulled back her hand and made a fist.

With a tiny shriek, Private Dubois said, "I don't know! However, I DO know is that people are trapped on a sub-level and those of us who remain are trying our best to save them before they run out of food or worse."

"What must we do then to help?" William asked the Private as he walked up and stood beside her.

"If we can just connect the power on floor three, someone else can turn on the generator at the standby facility." The girl grabbed her head and wobbled a bit then continued, "If you can help me get the power on, I can take you to someone else who can answer your questions."

Buffy shrugged, "Well, since we're here, we might as well help."

The group made it down to where the major's body lay. Harmony and Kate shot each other a worried look … hopeful that nobody would notice that they had tasted the Major … just for a second. He didn't need all that blood they thought, since he was already dead. Nobody noticed the small bite marks on the Major as the team quickly moved past the body and up the stairwell toward the third floor. A few seconds later, they all stood at the stairwell door on the third floor landing.

"Get ready," Buffy said. She opened the door slowly and everyone filed out of the stairwell and into the 3rd floor hallway. It seemed deserted. The only sound that could be heard was that of the clock farther down the corridor on the wall, ticking away the minutes. Buffy squinted and managed to make out the time, 2:13am.

"This isn't right," Private Dubois said as she came to stand next to William. "This place was supposed to be secure. We had two guards here. The major's team was just down there," she pointed to an open door half way down the hall. "They were doing the power hook up." She shook her head. "I went down to check on the noise all of you made breaking in." Her voice trailed off as she looked around for signs of her former Soldier companions.

"It appears, Miss Dubois, that if you had not gone down to investigate the noise we made breaking in, you would have perished with your associates." Tyler commented.

Buffy noticed just then that the good private did not seem too shocked by the appearance of a white haired horned demon. Although vampires and demons have come out of the closet, most people that did not have routine contact where a bit baffled by the various creatures. Laying a hand on Private Dubois arm, Buffy asked, "What kind of research did you say they do here?"

Dubois hesitated for an instant, "Just some … military research stuff. I'm only here for security."

"I think more is going on here than you are telling us." Buffy could sense that the girl was lying. She looked away for an instant to try to clam herself.

The rest of the team had fanned out in the dark hallway while Buffy and Private Dubois continued to whisper. Both Harmony and Kate could smell blood again. Glancing around Kate suddenly noticing how bloody the hall was … blood and gore everywhere, just no bodies. She frowned. "The last floor wasn't this messy."

"I think," William began, "whatever that Major fellow came across up here did all this."

Buffy flicked a switch on the wall and waited for the fluorescent lights above them to flicker on. Nothing happened. "Looks like nobody made it to the control panel as yet. Lucky us," Buffy tried to fake the enthusiasm.

They all slowly eased along the hallway toward the power control room that PVT Dubois pointed out a moment earlier when suddenly Private Dubois stopped.

Buffy bumped into her. "What's the matter?" Buffy asked, peering down the hall.

"Shhh," Private Dubois said in a hushed whisper, her gaze fixed on something at the end of the hall. Whispering, she added, "I think I see something."

William looked at the end of the hall as well. "Infected?"

"Stay low," she said quietly. They continued toward the open door to the power control room.

Buffy strained to hear anything but was unable to pick up a sound other than her own breathing. She missed the good old days of just kicking in the door and beating up the bad guy. Those were the good ole days back home in Sunnydale. It sounded odd to her but she actually thought to herself, _"I miss the Hellmouth."_

In an instant the quiet was broken when Dubois pointed to several forms starting to move their way. William took aim and fired several shots with the pistol he had picked up off the floor near the Major. Then Tyler fired several more right next to Buffy's ear. She fell back to the floor from the ringing pain the gun shot sound made to her ear.

Harmony yelled, "Infected are everywhere!"

Buffy got up and started swinging her ball bat! The first swing connected with the skull of one less tortured soul. Each one of their group seemed to have one or two infected they were fighting off. In the darkened hall it was hard for her to see.

Tyler and William backed up against a wall and started firing their respective weapons. Everybody else was in too close of contact with the attackers to do much more than hit and kick.

Private Dubois was knocked to the ground by an infected little old man who seemed to have super human strength. Her weapon went flying. She managed to get a boot up to the man's chest and push him back before he could vomit blood all over her. Kate caught him before he jumped back on the defenseless Soldier. With a quick twist, Kate broke his neck. She released him to fall to the floor dead.

One of the infected opened his mouth and came down abruptly on Harmony's wrist. She screamed as she felt the pressure. Luckily the attacker bit down on her bracelet managing only to break a few of his teeth before Harmony kicked his legs out from under him and breaking his neck with a solid kick to the back of his head.

An attacker rushed Buffy, avoiding the bat she sung at him. He hit her hard, slamming her against a nearby wall. In a second he was on her. She brought up an arm and shoved him away. He grabbed her again … and again she found herself held up against a wall. The guy arched his back and screamed. Noticing a writing pen in the man's tattered shirt pocket, Buffy seized it and brought it up above her head, ready to strike.

As soon as the man snapped his head back down to tear into Buffy's flesh, Buffy slammed the pen into his eye going straight through tissue, lodging deep in the man's brain. The pen found its mark, stopping the guy in his tracks. His remaining blood red eye stared at Buffy before he fell to the floor, dead.

As Buffy looked around her, it appeared that the infected were, for now, all dead. They had survived the attack. That was better than the last group of people managed to do. _"Of course, it helps when at least three of the group members (Kate, Harmony, and Buffy herself) have super-human strength,"_ Buffy thought. She didn't think Tyler possessed any special strength but he was definitely a good shot, that much was certain.

"Let's get this done and get out of here, fast, before any more show up." Buffy motioned for everyone to hurry. They all followed her into the dark power control room. William, being the last one in, closed and locked the door.

"Damn, that was close," Private Dubois exclaimed in total darkness.

Catching his breath, William replied, "You're spot on with that miss."

Buffy simply answered back, "Anybody got a light?"

"Here ya go," Harmony turned on two flashlights and handed one to the private and the other she offered to Buffy. "Vampire night vision, another positive to being a member of the undead club," Harmony smiled, happy in her self-appreciation.

The room was cluttered with electrical equipment, shelves, and a couple desks. It looked about the size of Buffy's bedroom back at the castle._ "God, how I miss my bed,"_ she thought.

Without further words, Dubois went over to the large grey power panel and started looking at the jumble of tangled wires. William stood by the door closing listening for any movement in the hall. Harmony joined the private. Kate stood alone against an empty wall.

Tyler walked up to Buffy and said, "Now, can we talk about the Durthok?"

"Fine," Buffy sighed. "He's a bad guy. He's dead. So what's the biggie deal?"

Tyler looked nervous as he tried to find the right words to say. "His blood … contaminated you. You, you, have already been showing a few signs Slayer."

"Yeah, I told you … I got it. I can tell I have a little 'so what' attitude going on but I've been slaying just fine. You can check all the dead guys I killed since ole Dirty-cloth."

"Yes … yes you can still slay with the best of them however, I am meaning a more … personal problem that will affect you … and Kate too."

At the sound of her name, Kate immediately moved closer so she could hear clearly what Tyler and Buffy were whispering. Even vampire hearing had a limit.

"What is it? What affects Buffy and I?" Kate walked up with a slightly nonchalant poise, twirling her hair with her finger.

"Well, both of you … you have to … to … to mate," he said sheepishly.

Buffy and Kate quizzically looked at each other and simultaneously raised an eyebrow.

"Not with each other … I mean … you know … with a male of the species," Tyler added.

Buffy fiddled with the flashlight as she said, "Look you already said this. I know I'm gonna be a little frisky and frustrated for awhile. Nothing I haven't already dealt with before. No biggie."

"Buffy … Kate … you … you're … just not understanding," Tyler stammered. "The Durthok's blood will make you amorous. It will make you very relaxed and pliable. It also …"

"Hear that Katie, pliable like silly putty," Buffy interrupted.

Kate giggled along with Buffy then slipped an arm around Buffy's waist. Laughing Kate said, "I always liked playing with silly putty back in first grade."

"Ladies!" Tyler was getting frustrated. "It will make you start ovulating so that you can get … so that your body can allow children."

"Tyler, you perv, we got that part. You said already why the Dirty-cloth guy bites women. Again I say, a resounding, NO BIGGIE DEAL." Buffy over dramatized the last part of her statement.

"You still do not seem to understand," Tyler said, rather aggravated, "Both of you MUST become pregnant! If you don't … you'll die within a few weeks!"

.

**A/N:** Poor Buffy! The girl never gets a break. Pregnant for like all of a couple days, in competition with a teen vampire over her way too young William, now … the poor thing has more drama to deal with. R&R pretty please! : o) FINALLY … revised. March 13


	11. Chapter 11

**CH 11: Warm on the Inside**

.

Silence permeated the small room as all eyes looked at Tyler and then Buffy and Kate.

Private Dubois even commented, "Bloody mess, sounds like," before turning and going back to her task of re-wiring the panel box.

"Say what?" Buffy asked, sounding a little more like herself for an instant.

"You see," Tyler began, "the blood of the demon makes you start to ovulate every day until you become pregnant. Once you become pregnant, the ovulation stops. If you don't become pregnant, in a few weeks it overworks your reproductive system and … and … things rupture. You would bleed out."

Buffy looked at him with hurtful eyes for a moment. "Why does this stuff keep happening to me," she said, her voice showing that she was very weary of it all. Buffy turned, not wanting to face anyone for a minute.

"But, but … I'm a vampire. It can't kill me, can it?" Kate shifted from one foot to the next nervously. "We, we don't even, uh … really know if that thing attacked me just because! I mean, I still say I can't get pregnant like for another fifty years or something."

"Kate, it would be my guess that somehow, somewhere either shortly before or after you were turned, you encountered the blood of a Durthok." Tyler touched the girl's arm as a gesture of support. "Remember, people do use it as a drug. It has certain … properties."

"Like … ecstasy," Kate muttered in private realization. Finally she spoke again, "Right after I awoke for the first time … turned … they gave me several wine glasses full of blood. I remember one glass was very … odd tasting."

"The Durthok's blood crystallizes in the drug making process. It would look something like a blue sugar cube." He let that sink in for an extra second. "If they used it on you, it likely restarted your ovulation cycle."

"Oh my God," Kate again muttered, "I … I was pregnant!" This time she said it with more conviction in her voice. She looked William in the eyes before tears started to stream from her own eyes. She too walked to a corner of the room to be as alone as possible for a few minutes.

"Don't mean to interfere with the bloody soap drama but I could use a wee bit of help over here," Dubois said, looking toward Tyler for the needed help. "We need to tug this cable a couple more feet to the power box. Can you give me a hand?"

Tyler walked over to the Soldier and took a hold of the cable along with her and started inching it closer to the electrical junction box while Buffy, Kate and William huddled in their corner of the room in a state of somewhat disbelief concerning the whole pregnancy drama.

Walking up to the group of three in the corner, Harmony wise cracks, "Just tossing this out there but if ole Willie here were a vampire, he'd be shootin blanks like ole Spikey and you wouldn't be …," Harmony was interrupted.

"Harmony, if you say one more word, you'll be dust in like 2.5 seconds," Buffy said through gritted teeth.

Harmony backed away with her hands in front of her and her eyes wide. She walked over and began looking over Tyler's shoulder, "Whatcha all doin?"

A few minutes go by but Dubois and Tyler finally get the cable connected to the power box and flip the main switch.

"Must not work," Harmony commented, "no lights."

Give it a bloody minute," Dubois said. "I have a few safeties in place. I don't want to survive the end of the world just to be done-in by a stray electrical wire ya know!" The tired Soldier concluded as she continued to work on the electrical box.

On the other side of the room, Buffy directed a question to Dubois with a faint melody in her voice, "Where do we go from here?"

"We should head for sub-level two," Dubois said with confidence. "I hope someone else went to the power generator station to flip that switch. I do not relish the idea of fighting my way back down there in the dark with those beasties out there running mad."

Clearly weary from the intense private discussions with Buffy and Kate a few minutes earlier in the corner, William offered, "Can we just stay here til morning?"

"Might as bloody well," Dubois agreed.

All eyes looked to Buffy for concurrence, "I'm a little less than fight girl right now. I guess staying here is better than taking a stroll out there right now." She motioned her head toward the door.

Buffy, William and Kate gathered back in their corner for the night. The Private and Tyler found separate spots to try and snooze uncomfortably. Harmony was, as one would expect, bored. She tried to sit somewhere where she could hear the good gossip between Buffy and the others. Her ears were not disappointed.

After an awkward silence of about twenty minutes, Buffy whispered, "My God, what am I gonna do?" She sat on the floor of the room with her back against the wall and her legs pulled up tight against her chest. "I still … can't believe all … this." Her voice seemed to hint to all the stresses of the last month and not just the pregnancy issue.

"Total hysterectomy might work," Harmony offered with a smile. Every eye met Harmony with a shocked look causing Harmony to offer, "Hey, just trying to help here."

"I just wish everything was normal again." Buffy started to slowly rock back and forth. "I wish I could walk in the door of our house in Sunnydale and give my mom a hug. She'd always make things better."

Kate voiced the same thought with slightly less pain in her voice, "I know. All this … it's insane," she said to all who listened. "I so want my old life back. I don't want to be a vampire anymore. I don't want a baby either. I just want to be normal again."

After a few minutes of silence, Buffy choked out, "I don't want to … be pregnant. I'm … not ready yet." Buffy's eyes let a few tears fall. "I, I, wanted to save it for … for …," she couldn't finish. She started to cry.

Buffy's tears caused a domino effect with Kate, who started to cry too, as much for herself as for Buffy. Harmony even shed a tear to William's surprise.

"Hey, I can enjoy a little girl drama too you know," Harmony offered in explanation.

Private Dubois thought they were all crazy and really didn't care about the drama when the world had gone insane a month ago. She doubted the world would still be here by the time they delivered anyway. She closed her eyes and decided to try and get some sleep.

Amid her soft sobs Buffy tried to speak. She had to get it off her chest, "I, I have to … get pregnant … or I die," she sobbed. "It's not … FAIR!"

"Buffy, I don't … I mean … I'm," William seemed to be at a loss for words.

"Don't!" Buffy exclaimed at a loud whisper. "You don't have to say anything. I know … how it happened. I was … there."

Turning to Kate, William tried to offer a thought. "Kate," he began, "I'm … I mean I want to help."

"Will, part of me wants to sock you in the mouth and part of me wants to curl up next to you naked … then sock you in the mouth. Just … just leave us alone for awhile." Kate turned her back to William and faced the wall.

Each one managed to drift off to sleep somewhere in the night. Even Harmony fell asleep after the juicy conversations ended.

Somewhere after sunrise they all awoke to the flicker of lights coming on around the room. Someone had made it out to the generator and turned on the power. Private Dubois stirred first, waking the others quickly.

"We need to move. We need to get to the rest of my team on the second sub-level," Dubois insisted.

"Uh, I gotta go to the bathroom," Harmony said with urgency.

"No way! You need to use the lav when the place is running wild with infected?" Dubois sounded rather unsympathetic. "There are lavatories on sub-level two. Now, can we go?"

"I agree with G.I. Jane here, we need to get going. You can stop for a potty break but I'm not waiting on you." Buffy's serious face quickly changed into a slight smirk.

They all gathered their respective weapons and huddled near the door, listening for sounds. It seemed all silent so Buffy and William opened the door and took up positions on either side as Dubois led the way for the others. They went quickly out the door and to the left, heading for the stairwell.

Buffy had an odd feeling of dread come over her. Looking up toward Kate it was like she sensed something too. It was like both of them were hyper-sensitive to things around them.

The group made it to a stair way and down to the first floor. They stopped twice enroute and crouch down, listening for any nearby noises. Buffy's heart started to pound and her thinking became very focused on survival. She had a desire to hide somewhere but she fought it off. Kate was lurking close to her for some reason as well.

"Okay, the entrance to the sub-levels is all the way down the hall and to the right. Then through a set of doors and down two set of stairs." Dubois briefed the group in a loud whisper. "Stay close and don't get separated," she added.

Dubois led the way with Buffy and William covering the rear of the group as they tried to quietly trot down the hall. As they ran down the hall, Buffy slightly lagged behind William to cover his escape if necessary.

Passing a series of destroyed desks and overturned file cabinets in the wide hallway, something on the floor suddenly lashed out and grabbed Buffy by the ankle. She fell fast and the piece of mental pipe she was using as a weapon flew out of her hands.

William heard her fall, "Buffy!"

"Keep running," she yelled back at him but she knew he would not leave her behind. The others stopped and turned to see what grabbed Buffy.

Something in the debris pulled at her. The lights were broken out in this section so it remained dark. Buffy felt a hard tug drag her several feet back before she scrambled to her feet and turned to face what grabbed her.

Forgetting the red eyes, torn flesh, and blood dripping from his mouth, the infected attacker would have been considered rather dashing if they had met in another situation. He looked like a thirty-something cross between Giles and Riley. She wondered if Riley was okay over in the states and if he ever thought about her from so long ago.

Survival mode started over-riding reminiscing and Buffy immediately brought her other foot up and slammed it into the face of the attacker, scuffing off a good patch of skin from his forehead. She kicked again and again as the infected attacker struggled to get its teeth into her leg. Each one of her kicks cut deeper into the man's face. His blood started splattering the floor and nearby wall.

Then with a strong, solid kick, she heard "_CRACK", _its face caved in, gore and chips of bone sticking to her shoe. The body shuddered just as William arrived to help. The attacker collapsed in a heap, blood and brain matter leaking out onto the floor.

Looking down the hall toward the rest of the group … their eyes said, _"come on,"_ without saying an audible word. Luckily, they encountered nothing else in the hall. Within a minute they managed to reach the second set of stairs leading down to the sub-levels. Dubois pulled out a huge gold colored Key from her pocket and began to unlock the door. Buffy was still shaking from the rush of fear and adrenaline when they all stepped through the first door on sub-level one, Dubois being certain to shut and lock the door behind them.

"Note to self," Buffy said, catching her breath, "no more bringing up the rear! From now on we should all stick closer together … like peanut butter and crackers."

"I agree with that," Kate said as she leaned against a wall to steady herself. "It's insane out here!" Kate just stood there clutching herself tightly. Buffy went to her and put a reassuring arm around Kate. The touch turned to a hug that seemed somehow to make William squirm.

Dubois checked a couple small rooms near where everyone stood while Harmony darted into the girl's room right near the door they just came through. The area was on emergency lighting only and seemed less devastated than the floors above.

Looking at Tyler as they stood in the dim light, William commented, "I think I liked it better when they wanted to bloody kill each other … or me." His eyes motioned for Tyler to look at Buffy and Kate.

"The blood of the demon makes his victims stick together, protect each other so nothing can cause a miscarriage before he harvests the newborn," Tyler replied with a cold scientific tone to his voice.

"Yeah, but what … uh … explains that?" William pointed again toward Buffy and Kate as their lips slowly parted from a rather moist kiss.

Slightly mesmerized for a few lingering seconds, Tyler replied, "The blood makes them rather amorous … rather amorous indeed."

After a few minutes of quiet contemplation to let everyone's nerves calm down, the group started walking down the dark corridor toward another set of doors. Moving quickly and quietly they made it to the next set of doors and down another set of stairs to a larger and heavier looking metal door.

Dubois pounded on the door first three loud thuds and then a series of small taps. Nothing happened. She repeated the process. Still nothing happened.

Harmony made the observation first, "Let me guess, the door should have opened by now?"

"We've had a few of the infected make it down this far but we've always stopped them. Maybe they …." Dubois didn't finish the thought. Dubois rapped again on the door.

This time they all could hear something moving around on the other side of the door. Everyone held their respective weapons tight in their hands. When the door cracked open, William brought his rifle to his shoulder and took aim at the door.

"Who's out there?" a voice whispered from behind the door.

"Dubois, hurry up and let us in," she said with urgency.

"Dubois? Figured you for dead … or worse," the voice said.

"Enough drabble you prat, be a good boy and let us in now," she said.

The door swung open to reveal three Soldiers with weapons all aimed at Buffy and the others. Behind the group of Soldiers stood another uniformed man. Additionally, Buffy noticed several people dressed in civilian clothes covered with lab coats standing in the shadows.

"Whoa! Don't shoot! It smarts like the devil," Harmony exclaimed.

Dubois stepped in the darkened corridor as the whole group followed. "I picked up a few friends on my way back sir," she said to the older senior military person.

While the group moved out of the stairwell landing and into the corridor of the second sub-level, Buffy took notice of the place. The halls appeared to be lined with small offices and classrooms or something. The place looked pretty battered from several fights, dried blood, bullet holes, and broken windows were everywhere. It also had a slightly musty smell as well.

Harmony and Kate were flirting with several of the younger British Soldiers while Tyler and William helped a couple of the civilians secure the door again, barricading it back up.

Dubois walked over to Buffy with the senior military man following her. He carried himself much like the major did back at Harefield but did not seem as warm or inviting. "Sir, this is the leader of the group of civilians that broke into the building."

Buffy thought, _"Thanks for the great introduction."_ She glared at Dubois and then looked to the man in front of her._ "Note to self, never trust someone that you have to knock unconscious."_

"Miss, I am Commander Kippton, Royal Navy. I must ask, what are you doing here? This is a secure facility. You are not allowed to be here. Under slightly different circumstances I would be forced to place you all under arrest." The man looked about fifty or so, had a receding hairline and clearly no personality.

Buffy started with a nervous tone to her voice, "The place can't be too secure since WE managed to get in without much trouble. Also, I, I've been fighting infected people since I got here so they need arrested too!" Buffy immediately started to calm down as she spoke. She wondered if it was because she knew she could handle the situation or was the blood of the Durthok was just having its effects on her. In either case, she started to relax and mentally plan a strategy as she continued to speak.

"I would suggest you get a guard dog or something. Whatever you call security just isn't cutting the mustard buddy." Buffy thought to herself, _"What does that really mean anyway? Why would I want to cut mustard? Oh well, I'll save that for another day."_

"We cannot help you with whatever you are looking for. You must leave, now." The man seemed cold and unconcerned.

"Wrong answer Captain Kirk," Buffy retorted. "We fought to get to this place, so I am not planning on leaving anytime soon."

"Yeah," William chimed in, "we were sent here from Harefield by Major Alfred Abel, of the Commando Regiment of the Royal Marines."

"I do not know him. It makes no difference. This is a secure facility. You will leave." The man met Buffy's gaze with his own steel determination.

"Guards, open the door and toss them back out," Commander Kippton said to the Soldiers standing in the corridor. With little more than a quizzical look to each other, they began unbarricading the door yet again.

"Sir, they did help with the electrical repair," Dubois offered.

"Then thank you for your assistance to the crown but I insist that you leave." The Commander unsnapped his holster and put his hand on the pistol grip. As he did so, the three Soldiers removing the blockade from in front of the stairwell door started to round up Harmony, Kate, William and Tyler.

Buffy's used her helpless school girl voice to distract Kippton's attention from what she planned next. Playing a little helpless seemed to always work on demons or humans. They are all suckers for a damsel in distress. "Can we discuss this a little more? We have nowhere to go. We'll die out there! Who is in charge of this place exactly? I mean, maybe we got off on the wrong foot here, you know, misunderstanding and all."

Commander Kippton's took his hand off the grip of the pistol on his hip for just a second. That is all the time Buffy needed. Her elbow hit him squarely in the nose at the same time her other hand grabbed his left arm and twisted it behind his back. She grabbed the gun from the holster and held it behind him.

Her moves were so fast that Dubois and the other Soldier's were caught off guard. Slightly confused as to what to do next, Dubois and the other three military people started pointing their weapons at Buffy, then back toward William and Tyler and then back to Buffy and then to Harmony and Kate and so forth. The other civilians seemed to scatter. They had seen too much fighting it appeared to want to be part of any more bloodshed.

William had his rifle pointed in the direction of one of the Soldiers while Tyler dropped his weapon. Harmony and Kate did not seem too concerned about the show of force knowing that they could handle the problem once the fighting started.

"Okay Captain Kirk, tell them to drop their guns," Buffy said with clear determination. He yelped slightly as she twisted a little harder on his arm.

"Not on your life," the commander began, "we're not like the bloody French you know, we don't surrender." Kippton struggled to get free from Buffy but she easily held him in place.

Buffy's eyes caught a glimpse of Kate. Kate licked her lips which Buffy thought was very erotic but a little odd considering the situation at the moment. Looking closely Buffy noticed that Kate's fangs were extended. Buffy liked the idea and gave an almost undetectable nod to her.

Keeping the sight of her fangs out of view of the Soldier standing near her with a gun, Kate looked over casually at Harmony who quickly caught on to the plan.

"You can twist my arm off but my people are not …," a shot rang out and she felt the commander jerk. She also felt a minor burning sensation across her left shoulder. Looking up, Buffy saw that one of the Soldiers had fired at her but William hit him as he fired, knocking his aim off slightly.

Dropping Kippton to the floor, she noticed that the bullet passed through him and just barely grazed her shoulder as it exited his body. Luckily it did not hit anything vital on either of them. Buffy looked up from Kippton and noticed that Harmony and Kate already had their fangs in the two unsuspecting Soldiers near them.

Buffy ran to Dubois, who had her rifle aimed at Tyler. Buffy knocked the rifle out of Dubois' hands and then hit the feisty Brit with a punch to the face. Buffy followed that attack by tossing the shaken Dubois through the air, impacting a Soldier giving William a rather rough beating at that moment.

Tyler's demon side prevailed against his attacker, knocking the Soldier to the ground just before Buffy planned on doing the job herself. Looking around quickly noticed the vampire's were still in a feeding frenzy. _"It's like having two puppy dogs. You can't leave them along for a second,"_ Buffy thought.

Wasting no time she ran over to Kate and pulled her off the already pale looking Soldier. Kate's mouth was dripping with blood and her eyes seeming to glow in wild hunger. Buffy held her arm for a second longer to make sure the young vampire was not going to return to her near dead victim.

Then, Buffy grabbed Harmony and pulled her off the unconscious Soldier she had attacked. Harmony growled at Buffy and shoved Buffy away. Just before Harmony could sink her teeth back into the victim, Buffy back handed the vampire then, grabbed Harmony by the throat and started to squeeze hard.

Harmony's face transformed back into her human soft features as she said, "Hey, hey, hey … sorry, just got carried away there! Sorry! I'm sorry!" Buffy finally let go of Harmony's throat.

Before Buffy could scold Harmony for being … Harmony, a hand touched Buffy's shoulder. Still in combat mode, Buffy whirled around with a low leg sweep and solid strike to the chest dropping her assailant. When she saw him, she was sorry she hit him. She recognized that face … those features. She thought of all their history, experiences and pain together. After he bounced hard on the floor, he finally came to a stop by a nearby wall.

Looking up at her he just said, "Buffy?"

Her reply was instant, "Riley?" She couldn't believe it was him! She had to say his name again, "Riley!"

In unison they both started to say, "What are you …," the obvious ending,_ "doing here,"_ left unsaid.

She ran to him and knelt down beside him as he propped himself up on both elbows. Their eyes met, exploring each other in disbelief. Finally she spoke, "Riley, I can't believe it's you? What are you doing here? I mean I am so glad you are here but I'm just … surprised."

She helped him stand up at the same time he gave a thumbs up to three more Soldier's who had just arrived with weapons ready. "Buffy … I should have known you would survive if there was any way, you would find it." He reached out and offered her a hug that she so warmly accepted.

"Riley, what's this place all about? Where are we … really?" Buffy fired off the questions once she finally let go of the hug. "I mean, I have an idea but … what is all this? How are you involved? How'd you get here?"

"Uh … hello over there, could any of you chaps render a little assistance?" Commander Kippton had pulled himself to a seated position leaning against a water-cooler.

"Buffy, we need to talk but first lets' get everybody looked at. Your team seems to have cleaned house here." He glanced at a still bloody Kate and Harmony, and then he noticed Tyler. "You came prepared."

Everyone assisted getting the commander and the rather drained Soldiers into a nearby small meeting room that had been previously turned into a medic station. Several of the civilians in lab coats started treating the injured. Kate and William seemed to be sticking close together while Harmony and Tyler seemed to be engrossed in conversation. After a heated discussion with the injured Commander Kippton and that crisis seemed adverted for the time being, Riley walked over and whispered in Buffy's ear, "Ready to go have that talk now?"

They slipped out of the medic office un-noticed. Buffy was sure that Harmony and Kate were waiting around in there for any chance to get another drop of blood from an unconscious victim. William and Tyler knew to keep a close eye on them after feeding on human blood.

Buffy and Riley walked the dim corridors of the facility. After they walked and talked for over an hour they came to a hallway with heavy steel framework construction on sub-level three. Riley had systematically shown her the place and explained everything as they walked. Buffy noticed that he walked with a slight limp. He had put on a few extra pounds, had a weeks' growth of beard, but he was Riley Finn … the one human boyfriend she let slip away.

"Buffy, in 1998 the British with American help invented an inter-dimensional time machine. That is what this thing is … a huge time machine. They always said that if the yanks ever messed something up so bad that it could end the world, that the English would be able to fix it."

Buffy commented, "But magic can do all that, why make this place?"

"The machine does use extra-dimensional crystals but not magic. They made it so humans would not be at the mercy of witches and wizards to save the world." He hesitated but then said, "However, it doesn't have all the bugs worked out yet."

"It's been around since 98 and still has bugs in it? Someone needs their money back … or an exterminator, depends on how literal you want to be." She shot that very familiar smile back up at him as she spoke.

"They used it after 9/11 to a limited degree of success." Riley sounded somber mentioning 9/11.

Buffy thought, "Wait, if they used a time machine to change history after 9/11 … how come I can still remember bad things happening on 9/11?"

Riley answered, "A few months after 9/11 the US Government pressured the Brits into letting us use the machine for a live mission. Before then, only equipment, cameras, and stuff had been used in tests. This time we decided to send back five agents from the CIA and FBI to intercept the terrorists before they got to the planes." Riley dropped his head as he walked, "Only two of the agents survived the transport."

Buffy looked confused, "Survived? What happened to the ones who didn't survive?"

"That is a story of its own," Riley responded. "The two agents who did make back in time alive didn't materialize when or where we had planned. One agent arrived a year early and in the middle of North Korea. He was captured and eventually shot as a spy. The other agent killed his targets in Saudi Arabia and then made it back to the US just in time to catch Flight 93. He realized that he was the only time traveler agent left so he reported in as planned to CIA headquarters and then did what he could to stop the terrorists. He obviously stopped Flight 93 but three of the five planes hit."

"Five? Wow! So the thing does work." Buffy was truly amazed at how they change history.

Smiling, Buffy said, "So can I like go back and meet like George Washington or something?"

"You could if you had an extension cord to the sun for power. The farther back you go the more power it takes. Also, it's a one way ride. They can't pull you back to this time."

"Okay," Buffy said with a clear thought to change the subject to what she really wanted to know, "so how do you fit in to all this?"

"When the infection broke out the world had no choice but to isolate the UK. Right now, just over the horizon the US, Brit, French, and German Navies are out there waiting on the infection to die out. The US sent four separate teams to secure this facility and assess the situation. When nobody survived they sent my team. I'm all there's left of my team Buffy."

Thinking for a moment Buffy responded, "Of all the people to show up here, why you Riley? I heard you got out of the Army a couple years ago." Buffy had her sources occasionally report on Riley Finn.

"Actually, I got out in 2008 after being seriously injured over in Afghanistan. We were tracking a group of demons into the mountains. The vehicle I was in hit an IED … a bomb." He added the last part for clarity. "Luckily Sam wasn't along for the ride. Three others on the team with me didn't make it. If she would have been there, she would have likely died too."

"I thought you two like … did everything together?" Thinking of how that came out, Buffy further qualified the statement, "I mean … hunting demons and all." Buffy fiddled with her belt loop as she walked. Talking about relationship stuff with Riley still seemed to make her feel hurt at a deeper level.

"She didn't come with me on the mission because … she was pregnant with our first baby, Joshua."

Buffy looked surprised and hurt but she knew that was to be expected, after all they were married. Trying to make conversation to cover up how hurt she felt Buffy asked, "Did she leave the military then?"

"Oh, she was never in the military. The government hired her as a contractor," Riley corrected. "The government uses contractors all the time. They usually get twice the pay of a Soldier but none of the benefits."

Riley smiled as he reflected back on memories of the good old days. "She had such a natural talent for hunting demons; they hired her in an instant."

"Had?" Buffy asked.

"Oh, she's back home in Iowa with the kids … worrying about me I'm sure."

"Kids? As in plural?" Buffy's voice betrayed her heart. She wished she could go back and fix things in the past … then the thought entered her head, _"Maybe I could go back … fix the past."_ Her brow furrowed as they walked and he continued to talk about his long recovery and then being hired by the National Security Agency as a mission specialist.

Finally she zoned back in to the conversation as Riley explained how he got to Dover himself, "US and British officials sent us here to secure the equipment and if necessary, go back in time and stop the disease from spreading. I came over with the operatives. They needed a person with field experience in 'the weird' to be the mission specialist for the contact team."

Looking at Riley's limp Buffy commented, "Riley … you don't look up to going back in time to beat up the creators of this mess."

"It was never the plan for me to go back in time. I'm here to help plan and organize the mission. I supported the American NSA agents that were here to hook up with the British agents. British MI6 agents were already waiting for us. Our team just came to go along for the ride back in time to KILL the creators of the infection." Riley let the word sink in with Buffy before he continued. "The mission never happened. We lost power, the infected over-ran the building, and my entire team was killed or infected … same with most of the Brit team."

He came to a stop in front of a big heavy steel door. "This is an isolation cell. One of the infected British agents is in there. We kept him so we could run experiments on him. I know what you are thinking," Riley flatly stated. "It is NOT like the initiative," Riley continued after making sure Buffy understood, "We kept him in hopes of counter-acting the infection. We have a couple of the best scientists on the infection trapped in the labs below."

Buffy asked with hope in her voice, "Have they found anything yet?"

So far, no luck," Riley said with clear disappointment in his voice.

Buffy cautiously looked in the reinforced glass window. A naked blond man in his forties was strapped to a metal chair in the center of an otherwise empty room. He practically sat there and vibrated; his red eyes and distorted features marring his dashing good looks. Buffy was fascinated by him, "Who is he?"

"His name is Bond. He is a famous British secret agent."

Buffy smirked at the irony of it all. "Doesn't the word 'famous' and 'secret' seem to not be a smart mix here or is it just me?"

Riley smirked as well and continued walking down the hall with Buffy moving along beside him. She reached out a cautious hand and took his. He did not resist the touch. They slowly walked a full minute in silence, just holding hands.

With a familiar tune in her head again, Buffy asked, "So, where do we go from here?" Again, she knew she had to clarify her question, "I … uh … mean with the time machine thingy?"

"Well, with the power back on we are working at getting the security door open to the forth level where all the 27 remaining scientists were stuck when we lost power after getting over-ran by the infected. Once we get that open, the plan is … several of the Brit Soldiers and I go back in time and stop this. I have the names of the people that have to be killed in order to ensure this disaster never happens." Riley's voice started to break startling her as much as it did Riley himself.

They stopped walking and Buffy looked up at him. "Riley, you … you said it was a one way trip. You have your wife and kids. You can't go."

His eyes started watering up. As a man and as a Soldier, Riley had trained himself to NOT cry. This time his training didn't win. "Buffy, I …," he choked up for an instant, "I love my wife and my babies. I don't want to leave them! Even if another me gets to be with them … it won't be this ME!"

"Riley you don't have to go! They'll send someone else to go. Just wait."

The crystals are destabilizing. They need constant power and with the power down for so long … it … it just means that if we don't go in the next few days, we never will. It could take years if ever to get new crystals. Also, if the rage virus spreads, it could destroy the entire population of the planet." Tears started to fall from Riley's eyes. One hit her hand as she held his hand.

She wanted him in all the ways she had him in the past and a thousand new ways. She wanted to sexually ravage him. She wanted to feel him inside her as they use to do so many years ago. Buffy knew it had to be the blood of the Durthok pushing her at a time like this but Riley was someone special, someone different. She wanted to rip his clothes off and do amazing sexual things with him. She should have never let him leave Sunnydale!

Buffy pulled Riley into a hug, to comfort him. She knew that she tempted him as he did her. She struggled to shrug off the naughty thoughts just now. "I'll go in your place," she said softly.

He pulled her away from him to look at her. "What?" he said with a nervous giggle. "Buffy you can't be serious. There is no coming back. You will be stuck in whatever time you arrive in … if you arrive alive."

"You are going to do it if I don't," she said with a pout.

"Buffy, it's my job. I have to …," he started to say when she cut him off.

"You have to what? Leave your kids, your wife," she said as she pulled away with a touch of righteous anger in her voice.

"Buffy, you're a civilian, you don't have to save the world from this," he said defiantly.

"I can't believe you said that Riley Finn! You of all people should know." She started to fume.

"Know what Buffy? That you want to save me again because I'm not able to do it?" Riley started to get angry even as the tears welled up all the more in his eyes.

"You should know that I am the Slayer and saving the world IS my job! If you forgot, Slayer's have been saving the planet longer than any government." Buffy turned, paced several steps and then turned back to face him. "I've died twice! I have faced death a thousand times. This is no different."

Riley looked at her and then broke eye contact. She knew that he did not want to go back in time on this mission. "I love my wife and kids Buffy … but this rage virus … it … it will kill them if it spreads. It will kill us all Buffy. This may be our only chance to stop the end of the world."

Buffy's mind started thinking, she could change more than just the start of the rage virus. "Riley, how does this time travel thing work exactly? You know if … you change your history do you somehow magically disappear?" Her thoughts were spinning. "I mean … if I am me and I change the way things happen in my future … like … what if I accidently push my great grandmother in front of a bus … wouldn't I just vanish?"

"No, no, it's not like that," Riley said drying his eyes. Before you are transported you are injected with some stuff that connects you to the time you are transported to. It is way too high tech for me to fully understand but in theory, you could go back and kill yourself and the time traveler version of you would still exist because you are sort of taken out of the loop by the stuff you are injected with."

Buffy simply said, "I see."

Riley started to wonder about her motives. "What are you thinking Buffy? You're not going back anyway, it's … it's my job, not yours."

"We covered that already," Buffy said sternly. "It IS my job Agent Finn and I am telling you now … I am going back." Her eyes betrayed the emotions deep inside of her. "Riley, EVERYONE I LOVE IS DEAD!" She screamed it as loud as she could. Doing so, released the flood of tears coming to the surface.

Riley reached out to touch her but she pulled away. "Buffy, we all have lost someone in this."

"Riley, you don't get it … I didn't lose some ONE … I lost them ALL! Xander, Willow, Giles, Faith, all the other slayers … all gone! Dawn is back with the Marine guys near London. By now, she might be gone too." Buffy sobbed for a few seconds and then pulled herself together slightly. "You see Riley, I have nobody left alive … you do."

"The trip alone will likely kill you. It's killed people before," he said with force.

"It sounds much easier than the long slow ugly end waiting for us all if I don't go back." She wiped her face with her shirt sleeve. "Either way Riley, I'm going.

"Buffy, what's your other motive? Are you planning on catching up to me the night I left on that transport, stopping me from meeting Samantha?" Riley could see in her eyes that she had thought of it already.

"No, of course not," she said emphatically. "Well, I thought about it but not seriously."

"Buffy," he whispered as he walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her. "Buffy, that night I left you … it … it tore a hole in my heart. I was so empty inside that I really didn't care if I lived or died. I felt so totally … alone."

Buffy put her arms around him as well. They stood there in the dim hallway in a long embrace. They were somewhere in the maze of underground hallways of the sparely populated secret facility but for the few minutes that Riley spoke of their past together … she was there, reliving the moments with him.

"I really, really loved you Buffy."

"I know … I know Riley, I should have …," she couldn't finish her sentence. The words stuck in her throat.

"I had been with other women before but you were the total package. I guess … I just couldn't deal with not having all of you."

"You have me now," Buffy offered. She knew that such a bold offer was the Durthok talking.

"Buffy, I still care for you so much. You still own a part of my heart that I can't give up no matter how hard I try but … I can't … have you. I am married and I have my little one's back home that are my life now. They have a piece of my heart too Buffy."

Buffy hesitated as she tried to fight off the feeling and thoughts coming over her. Finally, she spoke up. "Riley, right now it is not your heart I need as much as it is a part of you just a little farther down your body." Her hand stared rubbing up softly against him.

For an instant Riley enjoyed the touch, and then he realized that he couldn't allow himself the pleasure. "Buffy, what … what are you doing?"

"Riley, I need you to get me pregnant," she said with her most sultry voice.

.

.

**A/N****:** Sorry it has taken me awhile to get all the revisions done and get this work near end. I have had ALLOT going on in my life over the last few years … mostly not fun and my heart has not been there. I hope to finally finish my greatest story to date.

As for this chapter … looks like Buffy has come a long way with this adventure. She started in a container just outside of a London rail yard with Dawn hiding from the infected, now she is down in Dover, reunited with Riley. On the way, she has made a few friends, become pregnant by William, been in a zillion fights, been lost and then found, and has become a little too friendly with ole Kate.


End file.
